Method and system for secure distribution of selected content to be protected on an appliance-specific basis with definable permitted associated usage rights for the selected content

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to data rights management and more particularly to a secured system and methodology and production system and methodology related thereto and to apparatus and methodology for production side systems and are consumer side systems for securely utilizing protected electronic data files of content (protected content), and further relates to controlled distribution, and regulating usage of the respective content on a recipient device (computing system) to be limited strictly to defined permitted uses, in accordance with usage rights (associated with the respective content to control usage of that respective content), on specifically restricted to a specific one particular recipient device (for a plurality of specific particular recipient devices), or usage on some or any authorized recipient device without restriction to any one in specific, to control use of the respective content as an application software program, exporting, modifying, executing as an application program, viewing, and/or printing of electronic data files.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to data rights management and moreparticularly to a secured system and methodology and production systemand methodology related thereto and to apparatus and methodology forproduction side systems and are consumer side systems for securelyutilizing protected electronic data files of content (protectedcontent), and further relates to controlled distribution, and regulatingusage of the respective content on a recipient device (computing system)to be limited strictly to defined permitted uses, in accordance withusage rights (associated with the respective content to control usage ofthat respective content), on specifically restricted to a specific oneparticular recipient device (for a plurality of specific particularrecipient devices), or usage on some or any authorized recipient devicewithout restriction to any one in specific, to control use of therespective content as an application software program, exporting,modifying, executing as an application program, viewing, and/or printingof electronic data files. These electronic data files can be any type ofcontent, such as for word processing, or image files (such as for audio,visual and audiovisual components), for movies, or still photo visualimage files, or audio only files, or any type of stored data content, orcontent which when authorized is an executable application softwareprogram, etc. The present invention applies and works equally well withany of these forms of digital electronic data files.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a need to have controlled distribution of digital files inorder to protect the proprietary ownership rights as well asnon-copyrighted works and other rights including trade secret andbusiness proprietary.

Heretofore, the provision of secured communication (or otherdistribution) of data files to be protected, has been provided utilizinga variety of techniques, all of which are complex and confusing to theusers of the product. Furthermore, the so-called electronic data files,lack in actual security offered, and often fail in being utilized in theareas where it is needed.

In the case of distribution of data files of content comprising text,images, and electronic sheet music, a number of formats have beenderived to securely transmit and restrict and selectively provide foreither viewing and/or printing of electronic data files. Proprietarysystems are available from the music composition software companies ofSibelius (providing a “Scorch” product), and a Finale/Make Music, Inc.,which provides its own tools. Additionally, numerous encryption schemeshave been derived for transfer of audio music files. These include thoseprovided at the iTunes' website by Apple Computer, Inc., and analogousschemes from others. Additionally, the company PGP, Inc. (Pretty GoodPrivacy, Inc.), provides both free and purchasable commercial gradeproducts implementing data encryption techniques to permit RSAencryption implementation on files representing data content orapplication files. Furthermore, many Adobe Acrobat, “PDF” data files arein use, but with minimal or no protection. Additionally, Windows XP, byMicrosoft, Inc., offers options for encryption of files.

Secure distribution usually involves encryption or proprietaryconversion of some kind. There are many well-known options for this.Encryption, hash functions, other one-way functions, and symmetric andasymmetric encryption are well known to those skilled in the art. (Togenerally educate oneself, see Applied Cryptography, by Bruce Schneier,Chapter 2, Protocol Building Blocks; also see Section 2.3 on One-WayFunctions). The present invention is not restricted to any specific typeof encryption, and is compatible with any that otherwise fits specificdesign needs of an embodiment.

Usage of specific terminology defined within this patent specificationshall have the specific meaning ascribed it therein.

The notion of a one-way function is central to public-key cryptography.While not protocols in themselves, one-way functions are a fundamentalbuilding block.

One-way functions are relatively easy to compute, but significantlyharder to reverse. That is, given x it is easy to compute f(x), butgiven f(x) it is hard to compute x.

A trap-door one-way function is a special type of one-way function, onewith a secret trapdoor. It is easy to compute in one direction and hardto compute in the other direction. But, if one knows the secret, one caneasily compute the function in the other direction. That is, it is easyto compute f(x) given x, and hard to compute x given f(x). However,there is some secret information, y, such that given f(x) and y it iseasy to compute x.

A one-way hash function can be implemented in many ways and has manynames such as compression function, contraction function, messagedigest, fingerprint, cryptographic checksum, message integrity check(MIC), and manipulation detection code (MDC). One-way hash functions arecentral to modem cryptography, and are another building block for manyprotocols.

Hash functions have been used in computer science for a long time. Ahash function is a function, mathematical or otherwise, that takes avariable-length input string (called a pre-image) and converts it to afixed-length (generally smaller) output string (called a hash value).

The point here is to produce a value that indicates whether a candidatepre-image is likely to be the same as the real pre-image. Because hashfunctions are typically many-to-one, you cannot use them to determinewith certainty that the two strings are equal, but you can use them toget a reasonable assurance of accuracy.

A one-way hash function is a hash function that works in one direction:It is easy to compute a hash value from pre-image, but it is hard togenerate a pre-image that hashes to a particular value. A good one-wayhash function is also collision-free: It is hard to generate twopre-images with the same hash value.

The hash function can be public; there's no need for secrecy to theprocess. The security of a one-way hash function is its one-wayness. Theoutput is not dependent on the input in any discernible way. A singlebit change in the pre-image changes, on the average, half of the bits inthe hash value. Given a hash value, it is computationally unfeasible tofind a pre-image that hashes to that value.

A hash function can be thought of as a way of fingerprinting files.Thus, to verify that someone has a particular file (that you also have),then ask him for the hash value. If he sends you the correct hash value,then it is almost certain that he has that file. Normally, a one-wayhash function is used without a key, so that anyone can verify the hash.If one wants only the recipient to be able to verify the hash, then onecan use Message Authentication Codes.

A Message Authentication Code (MAC), also known as a data authenticationcode (DAC), is a one-way hash function with the addition of a secretkey. The hash value is a function of both the pre-image and the key. Thetheory is exactly the same as hash functions, except only someone withthe key can verify the hash value. A MAC can be created out of a hashfunction or a block encryption algorithm; there are also dedicated MACS.

Public-key cryptography, as described in 1976 by Whitefield Diffie andMartin Hellman, uses two different keys—one public and the otherprivate. It is computationally hard to deduce the private key from thepublic key. Anyone with the public key can encrypt a message but onlythe person with the private key can decrypt the message.

Mathematically, the process is based on the trap-door one-way functions.Encryption is the easy direction. Instructions for encryption are thepublic key; anyone can encrypt a message. Decryption is the harddirection. In the best case, it is made hard enough that people withsuper computers and years couldn't decrypt the message without thesecret. The secret, or trap-door, is the private key. With that secret,decryption is as easy as encryption.

To send a message using public-key cryptography:

(1) Both parties agree on a public-key cryptosystem.

(2) Party 1 sends Party 2 a public key.

(3) Party 2 encrypts a message using Party I's public key and sends itto party 1.

(4) Party 1 decrypts Party 2's message using Party I's private key.Commonly, a network of users agrees on a public-key cryptosystem. Everyuser has his or her own public key and private key, and the public keysare all published in a database somewhere.

With asymmetric key encryption, one key is public (e.g., to encrypt orto decrypt), and the other key is private (e.g., to decrypt or toencrypt, respectively).

In the real world, public-key algorithms are not a substitute forsymmetric algorithms. They are not used to encrypt messages; they areused to encrypt keys. The reasons for this are that public-keyalgorithms are slow and that public-key cryptosystems are vulnerable tochosen-plaintext attacks.

In most practical implementations public-key cryptography is used tosecure and distribute session keys; those session keys are used withsymmetric algorithms to secure message traffic. This is sometimes calleda hybrid cryptosystem.

Using public-key cryptography for key distribution solves a veryimportant key-management problem. With symmetric cryptography, the dataencryption key sits around until it is used. If anyone ever gets theirhands on it, they can decrypt messages encrypted with it. With thehybrid cryptosystem, the session key is created when it is needed toencrypt communications and destroyed when it is no longer needed. Thisdrastically reduces the risk of compromising the session key. Of course,the private key is vulnerable to compromise, but it is at less riskbecause it is only used once per communication to encrypt a session key.

Public-key Cryptography or Public Key Cryptography refers to a form ofcryptography in which each user has a public key and a private key.Messages are sent encrypted with the receiver's public key; the receiverdecrypts them using the private key. Using this method, the private keynever has to be revealed to anyone other than the user.

Private Key Encryption refers to a form of cryptography in which senderand receiver have the same key or similar keys.

Private Key Cryptography refers to a form of cryptography in which theencryptor and decryptor use the same key, which must be kept secret.This methodology is usually only used by a small group.

Secret Key Encryption refers to a form of cryptography in which senderand receiver share a secret key.

As discussed above, hash functions are one-way functions.

Hashing is one-way function. It cannot be reversed.

-   -   From the hash, you cannot compute the original message.

Hashing is repeatable.

-   -   If two parties apply the same hashing method to the same bit        string, they will get the same hash.

Standard hash functions include:

1. SHA-1—Secure Hash Algorithm (vers. 2)

-   -   NIST standard 1995    -   160-bit message digest, input processed 512-bit blocks

2. MD5—Message Digest 5

-   -   RFC 1321    -   128-bit message digest Prior applications of hash functions        include:

A. Storing passwords on disk (Unix, Windows, Macintosh, Linux)

B. Creating a digest of a message (a fingerprint) later to be signed

C. Authentication: send Hash (random_value+key)

Encryption is different than Hashing.

encryption uses a key as an input to an encryption method,

the output is similar in length to input; and

is reversible (ciphertext can be decrypted back to plaintext).

With Hashing,

a key is usually added to text; the two are combined, and thecombination is hashed;

the output is of a fixed short length, regardless of input; and

it is a one-way function (hash cannot be “de-hashed” back to theoriginal string).

Most encrypted content today is encrypted with an encryption key andthen a decryption key is used to decrypt the data. Theencryption/decryption key pair are sometimes identical (the same) or amatched pair (but different). Either way, the decryption key must besupplied to decrypt the content. If a new decryption key is desired, thecontent must be re-encrypted. Further, as long as one has the decryptionkey and the encrypted content, it can be decrypted anywhere and oncedecrypted, the data can be copied as desired.

A need, therefore, exists for encrypted content to be encrypted onlyonce and yet can be distributed widely. A need exists for thedistributed encrypted content to only be available for use on certainspecific authorized computers, for usage in accordance with definedusage rights (that can be fixed or have varying rights). A need existsto minimize the computational power required to distribute content to aplurality of users (e.g., up to thousands or even to millions ofcustomers) and a need exists to allow such content to be distributed onmedia such as mass produced CD-ROMs.

Server-based authentication, while possible, is limited in utility byrequiring connection to a server for authentication in order for anappliance to use a file.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide amethodology and system to provide for the selectively controllabledistribution of data files (content) to be protected, and selectivelycontrollable computer appliance specific based usage options such asviewing and printing of electronic data files (or exporting of files, orrunning of an application software program). It is a further object tomake the use of the methodology and system easy and straight forward forthe provider of encryption services and for the consumer of decryptionservices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with those and other objectives, the present inventionprovides in one embodiment, a system and methodology for uniquelyencrypting the content for a specific remote appliance's specific usageso that content may be encrypted utilizing an Appliance Identificationgenerated internally within the remote appliance and may also beselectively permitted to view and/or export and/or print and/or executeas an application, the electronic data file. This ApplianceIdentification is utilized both in the encryption by the provider and isutilized in the recipient device as a part of decrypting in therecipient device (at the consumer level) so as to provide for appliancespecific control of utilization of the encrypted content, wherein thecontrol is provided responsive to generation of an applianceidentification of a recipient device, such as provided by a query tohardware or installed software in the respective recipient device.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a system andmethodology are set forth, providing a structure system architecture forproduction systems and for recipient systems. Usually, the productionsystems are run by-or-for the owners (e.g., publishers or copyrightowners) or distributors of content to be protected and distributed forrestricted regulated controlled usage only on authorized recipientsystems. In a preferred embodiment, the usage can further be madespecific to a particular recipient device system (e.g., the user'sappliance). Overall, the trusted provider's production system providesthe production subsystem that works with the recipient subsystemcomprised of the recipient system (e.g., recipient device).

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, protectedcontent is made to be appliance specific. Consumers are supplied only apartial decryption key, wherein a respective utilized production key isencrypted utilizing the generated Appliance ID to provide an encryptedproduction key. This partial encryption key is useless until theAppliance ID is internally generated and provided by the recipientdevice appliance, to allow the decryption and generation at therecipient device of a production key copy, which is the key necessary todecrypt the protected content locally at the recipient device of theconsumer. The consumer never is allowed to see the production key copyand cannot alter the Appliance ID because it is generated from fixedcomputer identification parameters.

The distribution of documents, whether they take the form of musicalscores, pictures, movies or audio or executable software applicationprograms, remained relatively secure when the distribution medium was aphysical paper, tape, film or CD-ROM, respectively. The cost ofduplication was typically much more than the cost of the legitimateitem. However, with the advent of digital content this distribution costdrops significantly and is a concern for the owners of content (such asdocuments). For example, this problem exists in the distribution ofelectronic music.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, DataRights Management (DRM) is implemented by applying a single encryptionto selected files of content for a specific distribution.

In accordance with still another embodiment, to further encrypt for aspecific recipient device (such as a particular computer runningrespective application software), an Appliance ID provided by thatspecific recipient device (running the application software) is used bythe trusted provider (production system) to encrypt the respectiveassociated production key that was utilized for encrypting of respectiveassociated selected files of original content (and associated ticket,where present) as used to generate the respective encrypted content (andwhere present, the respective associated encrypted ticket). This allowsdistribution of protected content via Internet download, email, orCD-ROM, etc.

Note, the distributor (trusted provider) can also choose to encrypt thesame original file of selected content multiple times, each timedifferently for different distributions. In this case, the userrecipient device is given a key (password) to unlock and deliver usagerights and selectively control and allow access to the content. This keyis valid only for the respective content and is valid only on aparticular computer. As discussed herein, each computer also has its ownidentifier, which is generated by respective application software on therecipient device as an Appliance ID. The Appliance ID is generated fromspecific data within the recipient device, and it is not editable by theuser of the recipient device.

In one preferred embodiment, there are tickets (or associated controldata) [defining rights], associated with, or included with, orintegrated within the original (and encrypted) content. The ticketsspecify the usage rights for respective associated content that aparticular computer recipient device is granted. Once the particularcomputer has the key(s), the respective associated ticket(s) and therespective associated encrypted content, the particular recipient deviceprovides for selective access to the protected (encrypted) content thatis available locally at that particular recipient device computer(without requiring any access or connection to a central server).

At the production subsystem where the content is encrypted initially,the original (selected) content is encrypted responsive to an associatedproduction key to generate respective associated encrypted content. Theencrypted content is made selectively available and only utilizable onthe recipient device utilizing the respective application softwareprogram running on the respective particular computer. In this case, theencrypted content is selectively usable only by the specific particularcomputer that generated the Appliance ID that was provided to theproduction subsystem, and that was utilized by the production subsystemto encrypt the respective production key, to provide as an encryptedproduction key, which is thereafter provided to the particular computerrecipient device which utilizes the Appliance ID to decrypt theencrypted production key to generate a decrypted production key which isused to decrypt the encrypted content, and where appropriate, to decryptthe associated encrypted ticket to define usage rights for theassociated encrypted content. The production key is encrypted responsiveto an Appliance ID (such as generated at the specific computer), togenerate an encrypted production key that is provided to and can only bedecrypted by the specific particular computer that provided therespective Appliance ID. The integrity of the distribution andcontrolled usage process is thus maintained.

In accordance with the production aspects of the present invention,encryption tools are used to convert original content into an encryptedform of encrypted content and to create production keys (used by theproduction subsystem). These tools can be implemented in multiple,alternative forms, such as stand-alone programs, ActiveX servers, etc.The encrypted content can only be used with particular associated (andpreferably authorized and validated) application software running on acomputer system. The associated authorized application software can be astand-alone product, a plug-in, or can be included within anotherspecific respective application software. In any case, the associatedapplication software provides for one or more of regulated selectiveviewing, annotating, collaborative networking, selective printing,selective exporting, and selective active execution of contentrepresenting executable application software. Optionally, for anotherlevel of appliance specific protection, in addition to the above, a usermust obtain an appliance specific key (e.g., a password, a hardwarecomponent or otherwise) for use in their particular computer in order toaccess the protected content. The production key is combined in a secureway with or generated from the Appliance ID to generate an appliancespecific key only usable for a particular specific computer recipientdevice. Tickets defining usage rights can be generated and includedwith, or separately associated with, or integrated into, the respectiveassociated content (as encrypted) for granting rights to the respectiveencrypted content on the user's particular specific recipient devicecomputer running the respective associated application software.Authorization can be implemented, controlled and distributed, via a hostweb site(s) production subsystem, with delivery of the encryptedproduction key, and optionally the encrypted ticket and/or encryptedcontent provided to a user by direct download, email, regular postalmail, other electronic delivery or raw text, etc.

A particular specific computer (recipient device) running the respectiveapplication software or integrating in the associated applicationsoftware into other software (also referred to as a client application),provides for control of the access to and usage of the encrypted contenton the recipient device, and can also provide other functions.Additionally, other client application software (having the associatedapplication software integrated therein) can be created to provide datarights management (DRM) functionality for other uses. These clientapplications can even be embedded into specific appliances, intospecific other applications, or into computer operating systems.Alternatively, various sub-programs that can be integrated into anassociated application software's functionality, can provide either orboth of stand-alone or integrated modules into other software, toprovide therefor, respective DRM compatible application software.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the present invention will become clearer byreference to the accompanying drawings and detailed description of thedrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram at a system level showing the provider andconsumer sides, and a data rights management overview, illustratingprovider level encryption services and consumer decryption services;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an alternative embodiment of FIG.1, where the provider side of the provider and consumer data rightsmanagement system provides a combined output of both the encryptedcontent and the encrypted production key as a single communication tothe consumer side recipient device, illustrating both the state flow andsystem architecture associated therewith;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram and state flow diagram illustrating theprovider encryption services and consumer decryption services withappliance specific based data rights management system, with associatedrights ticket, further expounding on FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram and state flow diagram, illustrating thecombined system of FIG. 3 with the provision of combined content withassociated rights ticket;

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate more detailed block diagrams of the providerencryption services block 104 of FIGS. 1-4; wherein FIG. 5 illustrates ablock diagram and state flow diagram for generation of an encryptedcontent output and an encrypted production key output;

FIG. 6 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the production key block140, illustrating the generation of the encrypted production key fromthe production key and an Appliance ID (preferably a jumbled ApplianceID, and securely communicated) coming from either the appliance (e.g.,recipient device) or a storage means (e.g., history file for customer ona host server) storing the Appliance ID from the appliance.

FIG. 7 illustrates a detailed block of the content encryption block 102,utilizing the production key and original encrypted content to generatethe encrypted (original) content output;

FIG. 8 illustrates a more detailed diagram of the production keygeneration subsystem 101, which provides for generation of a productionkey from either a saved key or by generation of a new key;

FIGS. 9-12 provide further details of the consumer decryption servicessubsystem 204 of FIGS. 1-4 (such as on one or more recipient systemsrunning associated application software); wherein FIG. 9 illustrates theblock diagram and data flow related to the utilization of thecommunicated encrypted content, jumbled encrypted production key, andutilizing an internally generated Appliance ID to decrypt the productionkey to generate a production key copy, and for utilizing the productionkey copy to decrypt the encrypted content copy to provide(preferably-temporary) unencrypted content out;

FIG. 10 illustrates the subsystem 204 for generating the Appliance ID(and jumbled Appliance ID where utilized), for provision respectivelywithin the consumer decryption services subsystem 204 and to theproducer subsystem 104;

FIG. 11 illustrates the production key decryption subsystem providingfor decryption of the encrypted production key utilizing the internallygenerated Appliance ID to generate an appliance key utilized to decryptthe encrypted production to provide a production key copy output to theconsumer decryption subsystem 204;

FIG. 12 is a more detailed block diagram and state flow drawing of thedecryption of content subsystem 202 of the consumer decryption subsystem204 providing for decryption of the encrypted content copy utilizing theproduction key copy to generate the unencrypted content (preferably onlytemporarily storing the unencrypted content during its usage), for useby the consumer decryption subsystem 204;

FIGS. 13-15 illustrate various aspects of usage rights ticketgeneration, encryption, decoding, and utilization of a rights ticket ofFIGS. 3-4; wherein

FIG. 13 illustrates the encrypted ticket generator 401 of FIGS. 3-4 forproviding an encrypted ticket output providing for associated definedrights, allowed usages, and Ticket IDs, wherein the encrypted ticketoutput is associated with production key and encrypted content;

FIG. 14 illustrates ticket decoding at the consumer decryption subsystem204 and more specifically the utilization in the subsystem 430 of theencrypted ticket output of the encrypted ticket generator 401 whereinthe encrypted ticket copy and production key copy are utilized by adecryption engine to generate a ticket copy which is utilized via ticketdecode logic to determine rights and allowed usages and Ticket IDverification;

FIG. 15 illustrates the overall system operation for the encryptedticket generator 401 and the resulting ticket decoding 430, providing anoverall production and consumer system block diagram and state and dataflow diagram;

FIG. 16A is a detailed electrical computing system block diagram showingboth electronic computing system hardware components, data components,and state flow and data flow for the complete distribution systemincluding the production subsystem and consumer subsystem, with FIG. 16Aillustrating the provision of independent non-combined separate outputsof an encrypted production key and associated encrypted content, andwhere applicable, also an associated encrypted ticket, wherein FIG. 16Aprovides a detailed system block diagram including data and state flowindications, for FIGS. 1, 3, and 5-15, as well as FIGS. 18-28 and 30-33;

FIG. 16B is a detailed overall system block diagram and state and dataflow diagram providing for a complete system illustration of the systemas illustrated in FIGS. 2, 9, 10, 11 and 12, and FIG. 16B illustratesthe system of 16A where the encrypted content (and where applicable, theassociated encrypted ticket) and the associated encrypted production keyare combined into a single file output which is thereafter provided tothe consumer subsystem (e.g., the recipient device), wherein FIG. 16B isanalogous to FIG. 16A, except for the addition of combining logic andseparating logic as present in FIG. 16B and not in FIG. 16A, whereinFIG. 16B relates to FIGS. 2, 4, 5-15, and 16-33;

FIG. 17 illustrates the data storage structure and components therein,for the encrypted secure format (ESF) and associated encryptedproduction key (ESZ) as illustrated and discussed herein.

FIG. 18 illustrates a flow chart and state flow diagram for productionsystem encryption of selected content for a specific recipient device;

FIG. 19 illustrates a flow chart and state flow diagram illustrating thedecryption of the encrypted content and utilizing the encryptedproduction provided by the production subsystem (as illustrated in FIG.18) to provide for a decrypted output, and further illustrates an aspectof the invention providing a flow chart and state flow for onlytemporarily storing decrypted content in a recipient device duringactual usage and authorized utilization thereof;

FIG. 20 is a flow chart and state flow diagram illustrating theselection of authorized utilization, for selectively providing for oneof printing, exporting, or viewing, or executing as an applicationprogram, of at least a portion of the decrypted content, either inaccordance with predetermined default usage rights, or in accordancewith a permission usage rights ticket as discussed herein;

FIG. 21 illustrates the reception and storing of the encrypted contentand encrypted production output from the production system of FIG. 18for storage at the recipient device and optionally, at a remotelycoupled server;

FIG. 22 is a flow chart and state flow diagram, illustrating theproduction system ticket generation subsystem, providing a source ofusage rights, selected original content, and an associated productionencryption key used to generate an output of encrypted content with anassociated encrypted ticket, either embedded or separate, regulatingusage rights for the respective encrypted content. The production systemfurther provides for encryption of the production encryption key. In apreferred embodiment, this encryption is responsive to an Appliance IDgenerated at a specific recipient device, in order to provide anencrypted production key which can only be utilized only at the specificrecipient device that is associated with (and can regenerate) thegenerated Appliance ID.

FIG. 23 is a detailed system block diagram combined with a flow chartand state flow diagram, illustrating the utilization at the recipientdevice 204 of encrypted content with an associated ticket and of anassociated encrypted production key, to provide for generation ofdecrypted content and a decrypted ticket, utilizing a decryptedproduction key generated internally within the recipient device. Theencrypted production encryption key is decrypted utilizing theassociated Appliance ID also generated within the respective recipientdevice. The recipient device provides for recipient device storage ofdata usage rights within a local memory. Usage rights regulate thenumber of copies allowed to be used (e.g., printed) and track and storea number of copies already used (e.g., printed)=actual usage, etc., andprovides for storage of usage rights data (within the recipient devicestorage) in an encrypted format. It provides for only temporary storage(of decrypted protected content and/or usage rights tickets) duringutilization of the respective decrypted content and the respectivedecrypted key storage, providing an output controlling permitted usagesof the respective content on the recipient device;

FIG. 24 is a flow chart and state flow diagram illustrating the controlof selective usage within the recipient device of decrypted contentresponsive to a decrypted ticket as provided from within the recipientdevice, (see, for example, FIG. 23), to selectively provide for one ofregulated usage of exporting, printing, executing of a file as anapplication program, or of viewing of a video presentation, for at leasta portion of (or all of) the decrypted content and optionally for adefined number of usages, responsive to the usage rights permitted bythe decrypted ticket, and also illustrates the process of storingcontrol data with the encrypted ticket in the recipient device, forsetting a defined number of usages permitted (e.g., to be printed orcopied or exported or an application program executed);

FIG. 25 shows an alternate embodiment, showing a flow chart, state flow,and data flow diagrams, illustrating processing in the recipient deviceof decrypted original content which original content is itselfrepresentative of a ticket defining usage rights for an associated datafile, where the recipient device is responsive to a usage request foruse of the respective associated data file, and regulates the usage onthe recipient device of the associated data file as restricted to thedefined usage rights for permitted usage as is granted by thepermissions of the ticket of the original content, to provide forregulated permitted usage of the associated data file by the recipientdevice, such as printing, viewing, exporting, saving, or execution of anapplication program, represented by the associated data file;

FIG. 26 illustrates a flow chart and state flow diagram corresponding tothe combined output systems of FIGS. 2 and 4, herein, wherein encryptedcontent and an encrypted production key are combined to provide acombined encrypted output which is provided as a combined output to arecipient device, wherein the recipient device receives the combinedencrypted output, and separates the combined content into separatefiles, an encrypted content copy file and an encrypted production keycopy file, which are then separately decrypted in the recipient deviceto provide a decrypted encrypted production key which is utilized todecrypt the encrypted content to provide an output of decrypted content(the unencrypted content).

FIG. 27 illustrates a flow chart and state flow diagram for a productionsystem providing (1) for the encryption of selected original contentwith a production encryption key; (2) for the encryption of encryptionof the respective production encryption key with the same productionkey; and (3) encryption of the production encryption key to make thedistributed protected content appliance specific, by encrypting theproduction key responsive to an Appliance ID generated at a recipientdevice to create the encrypted production key, and further provides forencryption, utilizing the same production encryption key, of a usagerights permission ticket output (generated by a ticket logic subsystemto provide a ticket output with defined rights for the associatedencrypted content, and encrypts the generated ticket using the sameproduction key as was utilize to encrypt the respective associatedselected original content, so as to provide an encrypted ticket outputwhich defines the usage rights, ticket LD, etc., for a ticketspecifically associated with the respective encrypted content andencrypted production key, which made appliance specific via theencrypted production key, and are ultimately to be provided to aspecific recipient device;

FIG. 28 illustrates a flow chart and state flow diagram for implementingadditional security within the recipient device, by storing thedecrypted ticket at least in part, in a plurality of locations withinstorage of the recipient device, to provide for multi-level securityverification capability and to increase the level of security;

FIG. 29 illustrates a flow chart and state flow diagram illustrating,within the recipient device, the altering of the multiple stored valuesfor usage rights of decrypted content in the respective multiplelocations of the storage device storage of the recipient device 1400analogous to the storage and locations of FIG. 28;

FIG. 30 illustrates a flow chart and state flow diagram illustrating theoperation, within the recipient device, to process and utilize anencrypted ticket, to provide for decrypting of the encrypting content onan appliance specific basis (in a preferred embodiment), to providedecryption of the ticket and ticket ID and other data for usage rights,and provides for validation of usage rights ticket (such as based onactual usage or verifying multiple stored tickets to validate usagerights) providing a validated usage rights signal to regulation logicwhich regulates the usage of decrypted content as output from FIG. 19,for example, to provide for selectively regulated usage such as viewing,saving, exporting, running as an application program or printing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

The ease of transmitting electronic data from one medium to another hasnecessitated advances in encryption to secure distribution to protectcopyright and trade secrets. The security system and methodology of thepresent invention provided herein provide for secure distribution andregulated control of usage for protected content provided to recipientdevice-based products. This mitigates concerns of publishers and editorswho want to ensure their works are protected while preserving theability for others to legally use a copy of the original contentunencumbered. Protected works of original content are encrypted forsecurity prior to transmission.

In accordance with the present invention, original content (e.g.,information) that is selected to be protected is encrypted and is storedin a proprietary, encrypted format by a trusted provider productionsystem that only valid recipient device appliance software can read oruse. Therefore, protected works stay protected no matter where they are,whether on one or more computers, CDs, or via the Internet. Inaccordance with the present invention, only designated specificrecipient devices and authorized trusted providers are able to decryptthis protected data. An encrypted content file, in accordance with oneaspect of the present invention, is completely unreadable and unusableon any system except the intended specific authorized recipient device(or devices). The protected content is not usable or readable on anyother recipient device, or any other computer that is not authorized, oron any other system, or on CD-ROMS, on a PC, on the Internet, oranywhere else. Each recipient device appliance has a unique identifierassociated with it, that is used, in a preferred embodiment, during theencryption process to ensure that protected content is appliancespecific and can only be viewed and/or otherwise usable on the recipientdevice (or devices) that is was intended for. In one preferredembodiment, where copyright or trade secret protection is applicable,all protected content is also protected by affixing or displaying anappropriate copyright notice (or trade secret or other notice) that isnot removable.

In another preferred embodiment, a production system generates aspecific particular production (encryption) key as associated with therespective selected content. The particular production key is used inencrypting said selected content. A ticket (or other associated data) isgenerated to define permitted usage rights for the respective selectedcontent, (either based on default criteria (e.g., no use, some uses, andfull use) or based upon specific defined usage permission criteria. Theproduction system preferably uses RSA to encrypt its data. RSA is anindustry standard encryption used by thousands of companies around theworld, including Citibank, Microsoft, Oracle, and Wells Fargo. It hasresisted attempts to crack it for over four decades, and is a verypowerful encryption solution more than suitable for protecting originalcontent. However, any other encryption technology can also be utilizedwith the present invention. The choice is one of design consideration.

In a preferred embodiment, several functions that the recipient devicewould otherwise be able to perform can be selectively disabled (orenhanced) for respective particular encrypted content responsive torespective associated usage rights permissions. In one embodiment,default usage rights permit each authorized recipient device to beallowed to always be able to view encrypted original content that wasintended for it.

Examples of functions that be selectively enabled (or disabled) include:

-   -   Permitting modification of original content on the recipient        device that allows users to add their own custom markings (such        as text, lines, graphics, or such as bowings, fingerings, and        slurs, to sheet music) to the video display of the decrypted        content on the specific recipient device. This feature can be        selectively enabled or disabled for each respective file of        particular original content.    -   Sharing of original content (as encrypted), allows for users to        share data for the selected original content and the respective        associated annotations (if any) to other specifically authorized        recipient devices (or all authorized devices, such as on a        network. This feature can be selectively enabled or disabled for        each file of specific particular original content.    -   Exporting of Protected Original Content

The recipient device selectively allows users to save or export all orpart of selected encrypted original content, and/or selectively alsorespective associated annotations (where applicable), and otherrespective associated metadata (properties such as the title and author,composer of a composition piece). The export is to another authorizedrecipient device appliance/computer. This feature can also beselectively enabled or disabled for each file of particular originalcontent. The saving or exporting can be in the same format as theoriginal selected content, or converted and stored in an alternativeformat (or one of multiple formats (such as a “save-as”)). The multipleformats can include additional encryption, different encryption, noencryption, conversion to a different file format, etc.

-   -   Printing of Protected Original Content

The recipient device allows users to print out for all or a specifiedportion of respective protected original content (selectively withand/or without annotations, or of only the annotations) to a selectedattached printer. This feature can also be selectively enabled ordisabled for particular works. Also, this feature can be set to regulatehow many printed copies are to be allowed (e.g., 0, 1, 2, other).

-   -   Execution of the decrypted original content (or a part thereof)        as an application program running on the recipient device, where        there is an associated usage rights ticket, the uses and usage        of the application program are regulated and defined as per the        permissions of the associated ticket.

The system and methodology of the present invention, provide for aproduction system and methodology for the production of protectedcontent, production encryption keys, (and where applicable, associatedusage rights) and for secure distribution by a trusted provider'sproduction subsystem, to a consumer subsystem with a recipient deviceappliance running valid authorized respective associated applicationsoftware. The system and methodology of the present invention providesfor secure distribution, transmission and storage for protected contentat all times, thereby protecting the rights of the original contentholders and owners and, therefore, ensuring that their original contentworks stay protected. The present invention also provides for simplifieduser (consumer) interaction, and in an easy to use manner allows peopleto legitimately use protected content in permitted ways.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a system andmethodology for secure distribution and protection of usage of protectedcontent provides an infrastructure supporting one (or more recipientdevices) user appliances—each recipient device comprised of a computersubsystem (processor, memory, display, etc.) running an (authorized,validated) executable application software program (herein also referredto as one of a specific (or particular) device (or appliance orrecipient device), providing for one or more defined permitted uses ofprotected content, and optionally, additionally or alternatively,restricting any usage of the respective content to be only usable on aspecific particular appliance. In other words, the protected content ismade appliance specific (only usable on a specific defined appliance).

This system and methodology also allows users of the recipient device toefficiently interact with and use the protected content information. Theprotected content can be of their own creation, or licensed from one ormore multiple third parties of original content.

This system and methodology of the present invention also providescontrols to be utilized by and for the benefit of owners, producers,distributors, and publishers, to utilize to limit the use of theirprotected content to (1) any authorized recipient device appliance (acomputing system running an authorized copy of the associatedapplication software (that is compatible with the methodology andstructure and outputs used by the respective production subsystem togenerate the protected (encrypted) content, etc.). (2) Additionally,control of usage can be further restricted to limit usage to only aspecific appliance (or specific appliances) that are licensed, by makingthe protected content only usable on a specific particular designatedone (or more) of the specific appliance recipient devices.

In a preferred alternate embodiment, the trusted provider's productionsystem selects the level of security to be associated with protectedcontent. The options for security levels are completely flexible andvariable, and can be set to be any of a plurality of levels over a rangefrom limiting to only certain usage of the protected content on specificparticular ones of recipient device/appliances, and ranging topermitting all uses of the protected content on any authorized recipientdevice (appliance), any usages desired to be regulated, including allpermitations and combinations of the above. For maximum enhancedsecurity, usage is controlled to only be usable only on a specificdesignated one or ones of the recipient device(s).

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the systemand methodology provide for associated identification data of relatedinformation (such as the origination, date of creation, alternatetitles, etc.) of the protected content information. The association ofthe associated identification can be either physically associated withor logically mapped or indexed to the respective associated data file(s)(content, key, and ticket). This related associated identificationinformation can be either stored within (as a part of) the protectedencrypted content, or provided as additional data stored separately from(but associated with) the respective protected encrypted content.

A data file of selected content is first converted and encrypted (andstored) in a proprietary file format by a trusted provider (with aproduction system) to provide for protection of the protected contentinformation. The proprietary encrypted security format (referred toalternatively as ESF format or protected content format or encryptedcontent) provides a file protection methodology, infrastructure andarchitecture. This file structure can contain one or multiple namedobjects that each may mutually exclusively be encrypted (or not).

In a preferred embodiment, only a licensed user or a recipient device,one using a computing system running authorized licensed applicationsoftware, can utilize the protected content in the proprietary fileformat. In one embodiment, usage of the respective content on therecipient device can be even further restricted in accordance withassociated usage rights or permissions associated with each respectivefile of encrypted content [that is, either embedded or as a separaterights data file component of the respective encrypted content or as aseparate associated data file (e.g., a ticket)], when that securitylevel is enabled during production.

During the production of the protected content in the proprietary fileformat, the production system (also referred to as production subsystem)sets the permission (usage rights) level for each file that is selected(the selected file), the selected file is encrypted, to create a file ofprotected (encrypted) content. Alternatively, multiple files can beencrypted as a group, at a selected set level of permission usagerights. Protected content can be converted (and stored) at multipleusage levels.

Examples of levels of usage rights permission that can be set for aprotected file (or group of files) include:

Basic Level—Predefined permissions only [e.g., (view only, no export, noprint), (view and print once), (limited import), etc.], no additionalusage restriction.

Standard Level—Permissions limited to usage restrictions such as viewonly, or view or print once, only, etc.

Enhanced Level—Permissions can be set to any one of a plurality ofoptions for usage restriction of content, and further with uniqueappliance specific usage encryption.

There are many in-between, and additional other, usage levels, providingfor setting of a level for one of various combinations of permittedusages, including types of encryption, etc., that can be defined andimplemented, in accordance with use requirements and design choices.

In one embodiment, the only level of usage restriction that the user ofthe recipient device can set is for content of the user of the recipientdevice, and only at the Basic Level. Alternatively, either Basic andStandard level encryptions can be performed for content of the recipientdevice. The provider/producer of protected content can set any level ofusage restrictions and encryption. After distribution, the user of arecipient device cannot alter usage restrictions unless permitted by theusage rights permissions, and then, preferably, only more restrictivelythan the original (to maintain security).

Enhanced usage level encryption of content can only be encrypted by atrusted provider of the content that has production encryptionapplication software to provide for content encryption, and setting ofusage right permissions (restrictions), etc. The Enhanced usagerestriction level in addition to content usage restrictions, asdescribed above, provide for restricted access to the decryptedinformation, solely restricted to a particular specific one (or more)authorized remote device appliance(s). This is distinguished from theillustrated Basic and Standard Levels, where any licensed recipientdevice appliance can decrypt the Basic or Standard level encryptedcontent.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,usage rights permissions are associated with a specific encryptedcontent file by the provider/producer [such as by an indexed mappingusing an ID for mapping the usage rights to the respective file (orfiles)], and are further utilized by the associated authorizedapplication software on one or more authorized recipient devices, forcontrolling usage on a respective recipient device for respectiveassociated protected encrypted content.

The various security levels of encryption can be applied to any type ofcontent and/or object, and multiple encryption levels can be used withina given file or files or set of information.

Additionally, all encryption levels can optionally provide for notices(such as copyright notices), warning of the restricting of the use ofthe protected content as only for authorized licensed users.

An Enhanced Level Encryption option is preferable for maximum protectionof content.

With the Enhanced level of encryption level security, the data to beprotected is encrypted using a private key (an encryption key) (such asof a RSA public/private data key pair). This private key is provided by(generated or recalled from storage or otherwise provided) and kept bythe trusted provider (or providers) only. Trusted providers should,preferably, be a very limited group of entities, trustworthy to maintainconfidentiality as to the keys, the process and all related aspects.

The encryption of the selected content by the private data key allowsthe selected content data to (1) be verified as legitimate data and, (2)not be altered by another third party, other than the intended recipientdevice, since none of them have, or can generate this key. Thisencrypted protected data is unintelligible on any computer, CD-ROM oracross any public network, without the public data key. The public datakey (also referred to as encryption key, or production key, orproduction encryption key, or authorization key) is never shared beyondthe trusted provider without the public data key itself first beingencrypted. Only a recipient device computing system capable ofdecrypting the public data key is able to use the information.

The public data key is encrypted (such as by using a RSA symmetricauthorization key, or other means) responsive to a uniqueidentification. Preferably, the unique identification is at least inpart generated responsive to unique identifying information generatedfrom within a specific recipient device. Alternatively, the public datakey can be provided by a particular recipient device (specificappliance).

For example, the unique ID can also be provided by generation of aunique ID via software in the recipient device (either via a pool ofpre-assigned numbers, via a random number type generator combined withother data (such as time of day, date, etc.) The authorization key isconfidential, and is maintained as a trade secret combination of aunique ID (also alternatively referred to as Appliance ID) generated bya particular recipient device appliance (such as generated based uponthe unique network card MAC address, and/or other information). Therecipient device software application obfuscates the process (such as inthe binary code) and uses the unique identification (ID) to decrypt therespective public data key that was encrypted at the trusted providerfor the respective content. For optimum security, the recipient deviceapplication software never reveals authorization keys to any user, andnever stores (as decrypted) authorization keys in a file (except in anencrypted form), and minimizes the presence of any decryptedauthorization key in RAM to a temporary transient presence. Thisprovides security at multiple levels, (1) since the protected(encrypted) content cannot generally be used by just any computer toutilize protected content, (2) since knowledge is needed of thespecifics and the methodology, (3) since the computing system must berunning the proper application software and (4) since the computingsystem must be comprised of components to enable the applicationsoftware generates the unique ID and other information utilized by theapplication software to generate and Appliance ID that is used todecrypt the encrypted public data key (that cannot otherwise bedetermined and thus, the protected (encrypted) data cannot be used).

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a system andmethodology is provided for generating, or otherwise providingproduction encryption keys, and storing, and selectively re-utilizingthe keys. In a preferred embodiment, a new encrypted production keypublic data key is created for every recipient device appliance (eachwith its own unique ID) within which the protected content data is to beselectively authorized for usage.

This allows great versatility, such as permitting mass production anddistribution of selected protected content, such as by placing theencrypted (protected content) data to be placed on a CD-ROM or viaInternet. Thereafter, the production key can be encrypted using arespective unique ID from a particular recipient device, and then, therelatively small encrypted public data keys (encrypted production keys)can be sent to the selected ones of the recipient devices. The encryptedproduction keys can only be used by the respective particular recipientdevice (specific recipient device that generated the respective uniqueID utilized to encrypt the production encryption key), to authorize andbe decrypted by the specific particular recipient device in providingfor the permitted use of respective protected (encrypted) content on aselective basis.

In one embodiment, a selected file (or files) of content data isencrypted only once with a single production encryption (public data)key. This allows one encrypted public data key to always be utilized togenerate a respective encrypted production key (such as utilizing aparticular unique ID to generate an appliance key) for that respectivecomposition. This simplifies the process, and is useful in manyapplications, such as providing server-based on-line distribution ofprotected content.

For maximum security, encrypted data is not stored in an unencryptedform on any hard disk file on any recipient device appliance. However,if desired (for a special situation, for example), special usagepermissions can be set by an authorized trusted provider to permit thisoperation.

In a preferred embodiment, with regulated usage rights, there are two(2) inter-related portions of selected content data that are encryptedfor each file, portion of file, or group of files. First, there is afirst portion that is the actual original content data information (suchas text, graphics, performance notation such as sheet music, datarepresentative of a still or motion video or an audio image, anexecutable program file, or other data file) that is encrypted. Thesecond portion of selected content data is associated with a respectivefirst portion. The second portion defines permissions for the use of therespective associated first portion (the original content), (such as apermissions for viewing or printing viewable information). The firstportion (original content) and the associated second portion (usagerights such as a ticket) can each be separately encrypted as twoseparate files, or encrypted together as one file. In either case, theencryption is done using the same production key. Then, at the recipientdevice appliance, both the first portion and the second portion must bedecrypted using the same public data key (encrypted production key),(which is decrypted by the respective recipient device).

Only a trusted provider, (e.g., distributor/publisher) of the contentcan determine and set the usage rights permissions for associatedencrypted (protected) content. Usage rights can be set according tomultiple options. There can be a preset minimum usage (e.g., a defaultlevel of none to little rights, hanging up to an unrestricted level ofall rights), selectively set based upon criteria or related to aspecific transaction [such as transaction data (e.g., a credit cardrelated transaction to purchase usage rights).

User level authorization of appliances (such as hierarchical-basedlevels), (e.g., multiple levels, ranging from maximum usage rights tominimum (or more restricted (relatively)) usage rights can be set to bebased upon relative rank or importance of respective appliances (andtheir respective users). For example, a conductor is least restricted(having the most permissions), with each subsequent user group at alesser usage rights level vis-à-vis the previous (higher) user. Afterconductor, the next level for a symphony would be concertmaster; then,principals for each instrument, and the next level would be lateralplayers (e.g., all violins, all cellos, etc.). This hierarchical rightslevels also apply to other types of user groups (e.g., a school, class).

Permissions for usage rights can be (1) regulated either by type ofusage for any authorized recipient device appliance, or (2) regulated soas to only work on a particular specific appliance (or multipleparticular specific appliances), and then further regulated toselectively control type of usage on a respective specific recipientdevice. There are many alternative options for usage permissions.

Examples include:

-   -   Permissions by appliance (specific appliance (also called        appliance specific) usage).    -   Permissions can be regulated by usage option type, such as:    -   Annotation (modifications allowed, or not, and to what degree).    -   Export ESF [encrypted content (optionally with associated usage        rights)].    -   Export components of selected protected original content        -   individual pages exported to industry standard formats        -   annotations        -   other metadata    -   Print (zero, one copy, defined number of copies).    -   Execute as an application program at specified level of        functionality and/or for specified number of uses.

Permissions can also include other associated data, such as creator ofthe permissions, password, and modification of the permissions rights.

Permissions can also be set to limit usage to a defined number of times.Many options exist. For example, in one embodiment, during production ofthe encrypted content and associated usage rights permission, usagerights are set in the most restrictive state, in the absence of anyexplicit permissions. Many other options also can be selected, basedupon design criteria and requirements of the trusted provider.

In a preferred embodiment, permissions data in the Enhanced levelencryption model are encrypted twice, first, with the private data key,and then with the authorization key. Only the trusted provider/producerof the encrypted content is capable of performing the encryption of theproduction key (only it has the private data key). By encrypting theproduction key utilizing a unique Appliance ID generated at a particularspecific recipient device appliance, only that particular specificrecipient device appliance can decrypt or use the encrypted content, orencrypted permission associated with and related to the protectedcontent. The Enhanced security level permissions cannot be changed bythe user.

Permissions can be provided to the user in one complete package(integrated or otherwise combined as a single file or group of files) orin multiple packages (that is, the encrypted content file is separatefrom the associated encrypted usage rights file, and the encryptedcontent file is provided separately from the encrypted permission).Where encrypted content and associated encrypted usage rightspermissions are provided as separate files, there are multiple optionsthat can be selected. The encrypted content can be (1) unusable on arecipient device without the associated separate encrypted permissionfile, or (2) usable in a recipient device in a minimal manner of usagewithout the associated usage rights file, or (3) usable to a predefinedlevel of usage (from minimal to all options enable) on a recipientdevice without (unless it is present) the associated encryptedpermission file, or (4) usable at whatever level of usage the respectiveassociated encrypted usage rights permission file (or ticket) providesfor, but only as per that level. (Many other options can be chosen.Again, the choice is again one of design options.) The variousindividual permissions can be established and set by a trusted provider,at any time concurrent with or subsequent to the encryption of therespective protected (encrypted) content. However, preferably, only atrusted provider can generate related associated additional files (ortickets or packages) of permissions granting a broadening of usagerights for a previously encrypted content.

In accordance with a defined process/methodology for securedistribution, the recipient device user provides the provider subsystemwith the recipient device's unique ID (and optionally other information)such as by providing appliance data (or other methods such as whenunique ID changes have been made in the field). The trusted providerthen generates the encrypted public data keys (e.g., encryptedproduction key) and encrypted permission packages (e.g., encryptedticket) for a user. These can be sent to the recipient device withincreased security, since a third party's use of this encryptedinformation requires a licensed application software program executingon a recipient device, and must be compatible with the trusted providertechnology. And in the “specific appliance only” embodiment, thedecryption process further requires specific hardware (e.g. a particularspecific recipient device) to generate the particular recipient device'sunique ID.

The encrypted public data key is intended solely for a respectiveparticular specific recipient device appliance, and is not usable on anyother appliance. This provides for flexibility with security. Forexample, the encrypted public key may be stored on (but is unusable on)a separate appliance for backup or an intermediate device used in thetransmission of the key to the intended particular specific appliance.When a single file (or files) of encrypted content is authorized forseparate permitted usage on multiple recipient device appliances, eachappliance's key (for all of the multiple recipient devices) is storedtogether as one file of all the keys, as associated with the respectiveencrypted content file. Even though only one of those keys is valid forusage on each of the respective ones of the particular specificrecipient device appliance, without compromising the security of thekeys for the other appliances. Thus, only one of those specific multiplerecipient devices (that can decrypt one of the keys) can utilize thatone respective encrypted content file, but not any other recipientdevice. Further, each recipient device can only utilize the encryptedproduction keys explicitly created specifically for it.

Key refers to a symbol or sequence of symbols or a data file, (orelectrical or mathematical or mechanical or numerical correlates ofsymbols) (or mathematical data processing of data files) such asutilized by an encryption engine or other keyed conversion logic [andthe corresponding decryption engine] in order to encrypt or decrypt anyother data files (such as text).

Appliance is a term used as an alternative term for a computer systemrunning application software that comprises a recipient device.

Recipient Device refers to any computer system executing (or running)application software (or otherwise), for getting appliance data fromwithin the computer system for generating an Appliance ID for therecipient device, which is provided and used for encrypting a productionkey that was utilized for encrypting respective encrypted content, toprovide an encrypted production key. Only the recipient devicegenerating the Appliance ID can thereafter, decrypt the encryptedproduction key to utilize the respective decrypted content locally at arecipient device. In accordance with one aspect of the presentinvention, multiple encrypted production keys can be associated withencrypted content to permit usage of that content by a plurality ofauthorized recipient devices. Alternatively, a fixed encryptedproduction key can be used to permit all recipient devices running thecorrect application software, to use the encrypted content in apreferred embodiment usage is as per defined usage rights (whetherRead-Only, Read/Annotate, Network, or other) for regulating use ofencrypted content.

Master Production Key refers to a master key that allows a document tobe encrypted (or decrypted) regardless of what appliance is trying toopen the document. This is useful for a production system to test,modify or re-authorize rights for encrypted content. Only a fewproduction utilities are provided that can open a document with thiskey. The master production keys are never distributed to a consumer.

Document Production (Encryption) Key (or Appliance Key) is a key that isutilized to provide for encryption (and decryption) by a specificrecipient device appliance, and provides control for regulating usage ofrespective associated content [such as to open a particular (or groupof) documents]. A group of documents can share the same documentproduction key when designated for the same recipient device (ordevices).

Appliance Authorization refers to a set of information utilized toprovide for a unique identification and authorization, such as anappliance key such as generated from fixed data identifying theappliance (and preferably with an added password level of protection foruse of the application software), and/or a program level for therespective application software program (feature set levels (e.g.,Reader Only; Read-Annotate; Print; Export), and preferably also serialnumber (user identification) that authorizes the program to run at nomore than a specified feature set (and preferably only on a specifiedappliance). Alternatively, some are provided as a non-variablestand-alone product and is not capable of running all the featuresauthorized. For example, a reduced feature reader product, such asAcrobat Reader from Adobe Inc., or the eSReader from e-Stand, Inc., hasvery limited capabilities and doesn't include the fullest feature setbut will only run with the limited feature set as fixed to be allowed.

Original content refers to any one or more of:

a) textual data;

b) image data;

c) audio waveform data;

d) MIDI data;

e) video data;

f) game data;

g) business data;

h) application program code;

i) textual data having a respective associated ticket for regulatingusage rights defining permitted uses for the respective textual data;

j) image data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usagerights defining permitted uses for the respective image data;

k) audio waveform data having a respective associated ticket forregulating usage rights defining permitted uses for the respective audiowaveform data;

l) MIDI data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usagerights defining permitted uses for the respective MIDI data;

m) video data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usagerights defining permitted uses for the respective video data;

n) game data having a respective associated ticket for regulating usagerights defining permitted uses for the respective game data;

o) business data having a respective associated ticket for regulatingusage rights defining permitted uses for the respective business data;

p) application program code having a respective associated ticket forregulating usage rights defining (1) permitted uses for the respectiveapplication program code, and, optionally, (2) authorized functions andfeature level for operation of the respective application code; and

q) a ticket for regulating usage rights defining permitted uses for anassociated respective data file.

Key Production, usage, and retention strategy can be varied. For examplekeys can be time-stamped or otherwise designated with a limited life.Alternatively, all keys can be generally valid indefinitely (forever);however, in this case, the Appliance Authorization can be limited to aspecific date as specified by the computer's system clock.

Appliance ID refers to a unique identifier associated with, andpreferably generated by, a specific appliance. This unique identifier ispreferably calculated on-the-fly [in the specific appliance (recipientdevice) executing respective authorized application software thereupon],based on unique features of the specific appliance.

A Ticket ID refers to a unique identifier associated with a specificticket. This identifier is created when the ticket is generated, and isutilized in identifying and locating the respective specific ticket(e.g., for indexing, mapping, cataloging, and/or providing linking ID toassociate the respective ticket with other components or content orfiles).

In a preferred embodiment, Document Keys are generated from theProduction Keys and Appliance ID. For example, the respective production(encryption) key utilized for respective encrypted content is encryptedutilizing the Appliance ID as a key input to the encryption logic,(needed for both the encryption and the subsequent associateddecryption) to generate a Document Key [comprised of the production keyencrypted using the specific Appliance ID as an input]. For example,document keys are generated upon the sale of a document to a customer,who either supplies their Appliance ID or which is a previously storedAppliance ID (historically by customer ID on file), such as a result ofa previous authorization or previous document (of selected encryptedcontent) purchase. The Document Key is required to unlock [using therespective application software within the recipient device to generatea generated Appliance ID (such as by access to the recipient devicecomputing hardware and software)]. The application software applies thedecrypted production key which is utilized thereafter in decrypting theencrypted content within the specific respective recipient deviceappliance and for controlled regulated use of the encrypted content in adecrypted (unencrypted content) form, by the specific respectiverecipient device.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, data rights management system (10) iscomprised of a provider encryption services subsystem (104) providingoutputs of encrypted content (120), and encrypted production key (158).The recipient device has control decryption logic (executed in theapplication software) generates an Appliance ID, and preferably jumblesthe Appliance ID (such as utilizing a defined hash) to output a jumbledAppliance ID (157) production subsystem 104.

The production system utilizes the Appliance ID (if necessary afterfirst un-jumbling the jumbled Appliance ID) and encrypts the productionencryption key responsive to the Appliance ID to generate an encryptedproduction encryption key (also called an encrypted production key).

Jumbling refers to processing of content to be communicated in a securemethod. Jumbling can be accomplished in numerous alternative ways, suchas use of secure socket layer (SSL), or hashing, encryption, etc. (Foradditional background, also see Applied Cryptography by Bruce Schneier;or other texts).

A jumble operation refers to a form of encryption used to transmit databetween systems. This may be an encryption method using a predefined keyon original transmitted data and outputs to encrypted transmitted data.It could also be an encryption method using a negotiated temporary keybetween the jumble and unjumble operations.

An unjumble operation is a decryption method that inputs encryptedtransmitted data and outputs a copy of original transmitted data. Thedecryption method and key is selected to be complimentary to theencryption method used in the jumble operation.

For additional security, the outputs are each jumbled and are unjumbledby an authorized recipient device. The jumbling (and respectiveun-jumbling) is optional, and while adding another level of security, isnot a requirement of (or necessary to use of) the present invention. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, the encrypted content and encrypted productionencryption key are jumbled to provide jumbled outputs of a jumbledencrypted content (120J) and a jumbled encrypted production key (158T).These jumbled outputs (120J and 158T) are coupled to a recipient device.The jumbled outputs are coupled to respective inputs 220 and 188 of theconsumer decryption services subsystem 204 [such as a user's computerappliance (recipient device). The provider subsystem 104 provides a hostcomputing subsystem comprising a processor, storage, and runningrespective production application software to provide for operation ofthe provider subsystem 104. In a preferred embodiment, the providersubsystem 104 and consumer subsystem 204 are each further comprised of acommunications interface for coupling communications therebetween. Theconsumer decryption services subsystem 204 (e.g., a recipient device)provides a computing subsystem running compatible application softwareto provide for selective viewing, annotating, networking, exporting,running as an executable application program, and saving, in accordancewith respective associated defined usage rights. The consumer subsystem204 provides an output of the Appliance ID (187) [e.g., preferably inone embodiment jumbled such as by utilizing an encryption to jumble theinternally generated Appliance ID]. The consumer can call (phone), FAX,email, or directly couple via computer, to provide an output of theAppliance ID (187) to the input (157) of the provider encryptionservices subsystem (104). The provider encryption services subsystem(104) utilizes the Appliance ID input (157) to encrypt the productionencryption key which was utilized to encrypt respective associatedcontent (if appropriate, first un-jumbling the jumbled Appliance ID),and the encrypted production key is coupled for output from the providersubsystem 104 (preferably jumbled for transmission) [illustrated ascoupled to input 188 of the consumer services subsystem 204]. Theencrypted content output (120) is jumbled and provided as jumbledencrypted content output (120J), and is provided from the providersubsystem (104) and is coupled to an input (220) of the consumerdecryption services subsystem (204). The consumer decryption servicessubsystem (204) utilizes a jumble decryption to un-jumble the jumbledencrypted production key and to generate an encrypted production keycopy, and then utilizes its internally generated Appliance ID to decryptthe encrypted production key copy, and then utilizes the decryptedproduction key to decrypt the associated respective encrypted content,to generate an output (200) of unencrypted content that is stored in therecipient device in its unencrypted form for usage by the applicationsoftware of the recipient device in accordance with the respectiveassociated defined usage rights. Preferably, storage of the unencryptedcontent in the memory of the recipient device of the consumer subsystemis only temporarily stored as unencrypted, responsive to the applicationsoftware, so as to maximize security.

Referring to FIG. 2, an alternative embodiment to that of FIG. 1 isillustrated, showing the encrypted content and the encrypted productionkey being combined by the production system (104) as a single combinedoutput, prior to communications to an external system, or otherwisecoupled to a respective consumer subsystem (204) (recipient device). Asillustrated in FIG. 2, all communications between the provider subsystem(104) and consumer subsystem (204) is jumbled, to add an extra level ofsecurity. This is optional; it is a design option [to add jumbling (ornot)]. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the provider encryption servicessubsystem (104) receives the (jumbled) Appliance ID (187) from therecipient device (204), coupled to production subsystem (104) as aninput (157) and the jumbled Appliance ID is dejumbled in the recipientdevice and is utilized to generate an Appliance ID (also referred to asan Appliance ID copy). The production system (104) utilizes theAppliance ID copy to encrypt the respective associated production keythat was utilized to encrypt the selected original content to create therespective encrypted content, responsive to the Appliance ID copy. Theprovider encryption services subsystem (104) then provides an output ofthe encrypted production key (158) which is combined with the encryptedcontent output (120) utilizing combining logic 311 to provide a combinedoutput (310) of the encrypted content 120 with the encrypted productionkey (158). This combined output (310) is preferably jumbled prior tooutput from the production subsystem (104) to any external system. Thecombined output (310) is then coupled as an input to separation logic(312) of the consumer decryption services subsystem (recipient device)(204).

The subsystem (204) provides a computing subsystem with a processor,memory, and display, and runs (executes) respective applicationsoftware, to provide a recipient device appliance for a consumer to useto permit allowed usage of encrypted content. The consumer subsystem(204) provides separation logic (312) for separating the encryptedcontent and the encrypted production key from the combined output (311).(If necessary, the jumbled combined input is first unjumbled.) Theconsumer decryption services subsystem (204) then utilizes theinternally generated Appliance ID to decrypt the (unjumbled) encryptedproduction key to generate a decrypted production key that is utilizedto decrypt the encrypted content to provide an output of unencryptedcontent (200). The unencrypted content (200) is stored locally in therecipient device (preferably, temporarily) only during and as needed forauthorized usage (e.g., viewing, annotating, networking, saving,exporting) of the decrypted content in accordance with associated usagerights (if any) for the respective selected content.

In one embodiment, for greater security, communications between theproduction subsystem (104) and consumer subsystem (204) are jumbled,(and then unjumbled by the respective other one of the consumersubsystem (204) and production subsystem (104), respectively), (such asAppliance ID, encrypted production key, etc.). In an alternativeembodiment, where circumstances are correct, no jumbling may be needed,so it is not provided, and the present invention works equally well. Thejumbling (and unjumbling) adds another layer of security and its use isone of design choice.

Furthermore, encrypted content and Document IDs can be hosted on a hostsystem (or saved as “groupings” or “sets” on CD ROMs) to be provided toone or more consumer subsystems (204). In both these scenarios, aconsumer can simply provide the Appliance ID and Document IDs for thedesired selected encrypted content, and the host system can locate theselected content, and the associated respective production key used toencrypt the respective content as per the Document IDs, and encrypts therespective production key responsive to the provided Appliance ID andDocument IDs received from the consumer, to generate and provide adocument key that is provided to the consumer subsystem (204). Theconsumer system (204) then generates an Appliance ID locally and uses itto decrypt the document key to get to the decrypted production keyneeded to decrypt the selected content (and, if appropriate, therespective associated encrypted ticket.).

The discussion of the illustrated embodiments discussed so far hereinhave been directed to communications of single files and single keys.

In accordance with another illustrated embodiment of the presentinvention, in addition to communication and usage of single files andsingle keys, or multiple files encrypted with a same single key,alternatively, multiple ones of unencrypted initial content files caneach be encrypted with a different production key. The encryptedproduction keys and encrypted content can be sent separately andindividually, or combined and together.

The same production key can be used for all of the multiple unencryptedinitial content files, or there can be multiple production keys used forencryption, and with some of the keys used on more than one unencryptedinitial content file.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a productionID is associated with every production key. This production ID should berelatively unique and the only relationship to production key is thatthere is a one-to-one relationship. The production ID can be, forexample, a random number, current time, random sequence of characters ora sequentially generated number that increases every time a newproduction key is generated, or other items, or a combination of these.The production ID can be used as an index to find a production key for arespective file of associated encrypted content. In this case, theproduction ID is transmitted along with the encrypted initial content tothe recipient device (and also subsequently with the encryptedproduction key). Thereafter, the recipient device can be sent arespective production ID to a host [e.g., production subsystem (104)],and the production subsystem (104) locates the associated respectiveproduction key for the respective production ID, and encrypts therespective production key and sends the encrypted production key to therespective recipient device (e.g., such as encrypted to be appliancespecific responsive to the respective Appliance ID).

In accordance with one embodiment, the production ID associated withencrypted initial content is verified prior to use, and is compared tothe respective production ID associated with an encrypted productionkey. If the production ID's match, then the respective encryptedproduction key can be used with the respective encrypted initial contentto obtain the unencrypted initial content on the client machine(recipient device).

Additionally, or alternatively, to the production ID, the Appliance IDmay also be associated with the encrypted production key. This allowsthe client (e.g., the recipient device or system) to effectively ignoreencrypted production keys that are not meant for that client recipientdevice, by comparing the client's Appliance ID with the respectiveAppliance ID associated with each of the respective ones of encryptedproduction keys.

In one embodiment, the encrypted production keys are transmittedseparately from the encrypted content. In an alternate embodiment, theproduction key and encrypted initial content are transmitted togetherfrom server production subsystem (104) to client [recipient device(consumer subsystem (204)]. In either case, there is a chance that theproduction ID or Appliance ID is not associated with the encryptedproduction key or the production ID is not associated with the encryptedinitial content. The client recipient device (204) does not always knowwhich encrypted production key goes with which encrypted initial contenton which client. In this case, the client system (204) can still createthe unencrypted initial content but the process will take longer.

There are many alternative ways to find the correct production key. Forexample, the client system (204) can try using every encryptedproduction key that it has available to decrypt the encrypted initialcontent. When the client determines the encrypted initial content iscorrect, it stops looking.

Alternatively, there may be times when the client recipient devicesystem (204) does not keep track of which document key is to be used fora particular document on a particular appliance. In this case, theclient system (204) needs to check all the keys on the recipient device(204) for location of the correct particular document key. In this case,the client recipient device (204) finds the correct document key bydecrypting the respective encrypted content with each respectiveproduction key, to attempt to generate the correct decrypted content fora selection, and then check the respective unencrypted initial contentfor correctness.

The recipient device (204) (client's) check for correctness of therespective unencrypted initial content requires that the client (204)has some knowledge of some aspect of the correct decrypted content. Thiscould be a number of things. For example, the first part of thedecrypted content can have a fixed set of initial characters (or achecksum on the content) or that the decrypted content followsrespective specific rules. For example, most image files have a fixedstring at the beginning. HTML and XML follow specific rules in theirformation that can be checked.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, asystem and method is provided for securely communicating content for useon a remote appliance without requiring server authentication. Themethod is comprised of providing an unencrypted initial content;providing a production key; encrypting the unencrypted initial contentresponsive to the production key to generate encrypted content;providing an appliance identification (ID) initially generated at theremote appliance (and identifying the specific appliance); andencrypting the production key responsive to the Appliance ID, togenerate an encrypted production key for the remote appliance (recipientdevice), to use which permits decryption only on the respective remoteappliance (recipient device) and responsive to that respective remoteappliance (recipient device) generating a respective Appliance ID [whichis the same Appliance ID as was utilized for the encrypting of therespective production key by the production subsystem (104).

The unencrypted initial content can be provided by any source. Often, itis proprietary and copyrighted content that needs to have controlledaccess. The initial (original) content can be comprised of text, images,application program code, audio, video, still video, or other data. Theproduction key can be any of a variety of data word sizes, types [suchas binary data, generic character strings, alphanumeric characterstrings, and numeric character strings, etc.], and can be generated inmany ways, ranging from defined algorithms for generating pools of IDs;to seeds for generating keys, to utilizing saved (previously generated)values, etc. Production key generation is also discussed further herein.The production key size is determined by the requirements of the contentencryption algorithm's key, and considerations of level of desiredsecurity. Some of the types of content encryption (and correspondingdecryption) that can be utilized [one or more, alone or in combination]are:

a) Data Encryption Standard (DES);

b) RC2;

c) RC4;

d) Message Digest 5 (MD5);

e) Rijndael;

f) Triple DES;

g) Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA); and

h) RSA.

These are examples. However, any type of encryption can be used, and iscompatible with the present invention.

In each of the above situations, a key length that can be selected basedon design tradeoffs and choices (e.g., legal, practical and securitytradeoffs).

The generation of the Appliance ID is based on unique characteristics ofthe appliance, such as based on the types of hardware options installedon the recipient device appliance, serial numbers, software optionsinstalled, or other data stored on the appliance.

The encrypted content is transmitted or otherwise provided to therecipient device to the remote appliance from the production subsystem(104). The production key used to encrypt the encrypted content isencrypted responsive to the Appliance ID generated at the remoteappliance. The encrypted production key is transmitted or otherwiseprovided to the respective remote appliance generating the respectiveAppliance ID utilized to encrypt the respective production key. Then,the recipient device remote appliance uses the generated Appliance IDwithin the remote appliance (recipient device) as a key to unlock(decrypt) the encrypted production key. The decrypted production key isutilized by the recipient device to decrypt the encrypted content, togenerate the unencrypted content for use only on the respectiverecipient device remote appliance.

The distribution of the encrypted content can be electronicallytransmitted (e.g., download, email), stored on non-volatile storage(e.g., such as CDs or DVDs), etc. The distribution of the encryptedproduction key can also be transmitted electronically (e.g., download,email), via CD or DVD, via regular mail, or FAX communication, etc. Thedistribution of the encrypted content and respective associatedencrypted production key can be provided independently and separately,or simultaneously and concurrently.

In one illustrated embodiment, an appliance key is generated by hashingthe Appliance ID generated within the recipient device in combinationwith a fixed password. A decrypted production key is created from theencrypted production key, that is decrypted from the respectiveencrypted production key responsive to the respective appliance key. Theunencrypted content is decrypted from the encrypted content responsiveto the production key generated responsive to the appliance key.

The appliance key is an alternative that offers an additional level ofpassword security to the use of a generated Appliance ID, withoutfurther encryption, via use of a password. Again, the decision ofAppliance ID versus Appliance Key is purely a design choice of level ofdesired security and other design/cost/use considerations, and eitherchoice works equally well with the present invention.

In one preferred embodiment, the recipient device further selectivelyprovides a display presentation on the respective remote appliance inaccordance with respective usage rights (if any) for the respectivedecrypted (unencrypted) content, responsive to the unencrypted content.

The display presentation can be provided on one or more of an LCD, CRT,printer, where audio via audio speakers or audio headphones, radiotransmitters, network transmitters, television monitors, POTS (plain oldtelephone service) phone, cell phone, or pagers. The displaypresentation is selectively generated responsive to the unencryptedcontent and the usage rights for the respective unencrypted content.

As discussed herein, in alternate embodiments, the encrypted content canbe provided to the remote appliance independently of (or simultaneouslywith) providing the encrypted production key to the remote appliance.

For example, in one embodiment, the production subsystem (104) firstreceives the Appliance ID (or appliance key) from a recipient device,and then, the production subsystem (104) generates a respectiveencrypted production key for respective associated selected encryptedcontent, using the Appliance ID, and then, provides for combining theencrypted content and encrypted production key to generate a combinedencrypted output of respective content and respective production key.the production subsystem (104) then provides for coupling the combinedencrypted respective content and respective encrypted production key, tothe recipient device (204) remote appliance. In this embodiment, themethod provides for utilizing the respective combined encryptedrecipient device (204) content and respective encrypted production keywithin the remote appliance to automatically decrypt the encryptedproduction key to provide decrypted production key that is utilized bythe recipient device to generate the unencrypted initial content.

There are many alternative ways for generating the Appliance ID touniquely identify a recipient device appliance. For example, theAppliance ID can be generated responsive to one or more of thefollowing:

For example, characteristics of the remote appliance that can beutilized:

a) Hardware serial number (e.g., this can be obtained by accessing thehardware serial number through special methods on the appliance);

b) ROM checksum (e.g., this can be obtained by creating the checksumfrom the contents of a ROM on the appliance.);

c) Password (e.g., this can be obtained by storing the passwordsomewhere on the appliance, or asking for the password from the user);

d) Installed hardware list (e.g., this can be obtained by checking thehardware that is on the appliance and providing a list of hardware);

e) Installed software list (e.g., this can be obtained by checking thesoftware on the appliance and providing a list of software);

f) Location of special files (e.g., this can be obtained by checking thephysical location of specific files on the appliance and providing thatlocation);

g) Contents of special files (e.g., this can be obtained by checking thecontents of specific files and providing the contents or a hashed valuefrom the contents);

h) CPU ID (e.g., this can be obtained by accessing the CPU and providingthe CPU ID);

i) Network addresses (e.g., this can be obtained by checking the networkIP or MAC addresses on the network cards);

j) Hardware key devices (e.g., this can be obtained by accessing thehardware devices and providing the key responsive thereto);

k) Biometric readers, such as fingerprint and retinal reader (e.g., thiscan be obtained by accessing biometric readers and providing anidentification of a person);

l) ID card input (e.g., this can be obtained by reading a card readerdevice and providing a card ID);

m) Credit card input (e.g., this can be obtained by reading a creditcard with a reader and providing identification information from thecard); and

n) Information from outside the appliance (e.g., this can be obtained bysending information to identify the appliance to a remote system thatprovides authorization information in return. The authorizationinformation can be algorithmically determined, or based on stored dataon the remote system or otherwise securely generated).

The encrypting of the production key can be provided for in a number ofalternative ways, including, but not limited to, one or more of:

i) Data Encryption Standard (DES);

j) RC2;

k) RC4;

l) Message Digest 5 (MD5);

m) Rijndael;

n) Triple DES;

o) Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA); and

p) RSA.

In an alternate embodiment, where one or a plurality of separate filesof original content are to be used on a plurality of separate specificrecipient devices (204) (appliances), the production subsystem processcomprises providing multiple Appliance IDs and providing multipleproduction keys. Each of the production keys is encrypted to generate arespective encrypted production key, responsive to the respectiveAppliance IDs. This is done for every combination of the Appliance IDsand the production keys. The production system generates an encryptedproduction key list, responsive to encrypting the production keys.

This embodiment is useful when the one or multiple separate files ofselected initial original content is to be made available to and will beused by, a plurality of appliances. Also, it is useful where it isdesirable to selectively make available only certain ones of theselected content files on all of the specific appliances, but onlyusable on certain ones of the respective ones of the specificappliances. The production keys associated with the respective files ofspecific initial content are selectively used to generate the respectiveencrypted production keys, based upon the respective Appliance ID or IDsthat are to be allowed to have access to use the specific selectedinitial content.

The encrypted production key list is thereafter provided to a remoteappliance recipient device. The recipient device processes the encryptedproduction key list. First, a single encrypted production key isselected from the encrypted production key list. The recipient deviceprovides for validating as known good content an attempted decryption ofthe respective selected content, responsive to at least a portion of therespective associated unencrypted initial content generated byattempting decryption with the presently selected single encrypted key.The process repeats until the correct key is found. If known goodcontent is validated, the correct key has been found. Otherwise, anotherencrypted production key is selected from the encrypted production keylist, responsive to a failed comparison of the unencrypted initialcontent with the known good content.

The selection, of a single key to try, can be as simple as starting byselecting the first encrypted production key in the list. This selectedencrypted production key is decrypted to provide a selected decryptedkey, using the appliance's (internally generated) Appliance ID and thenattempting to decrypt the respective encrypted original contentresponsive to the selected decrypted key. The resulting decryptedcontent is checked to determine whether it is valid. The decryptedrespective original content will contain either specific known data orfollow a specific format. For example, most image formats such as BMP,TIFF and JPEG begin with known data that can be compared. Likewise HTMLand XML contain specific formats that can be verified. If the decryptedcontent is found to be valid, then, the correct encrypted production keyhas been found. If the decrypted content is not valid, that respectiveencrypted production key is for use with another Appliance ID or fordifferent respective associated encrypted original content. In thiscase, the next encrypted production key in the list is selected, andchecked as above. This continues a valid key is found or until the listis exhausted. If the list is exhausted without valid decrypted originalcontent being found, then the encrypted production key for thisAppliance ID and the respective associated encrypted original content isnot in the respective list.

Additionally, or alternatively, Appliance ID and/or content descriptionsand/or Document ID can be included with the list of encrypted productionkey list. The selection process is essentially the same as above, exceptthat all encrypted production keys that are associated with otherappliances' Appliance IDs and/or unwanted content descriptions can beinitially rejected based upon checking for a valid appliance or contentdescription or Document ID associated with a respective key, beforevalidating and checking that the respective decrypted original contentas decrypted using a respective key, is valid. This process andstructure reduces the number of encrypted production keys in the listthat are checked.

A production key list search and validation is required if the decryptedoriginal content does not contain any known data or follow a specificformat, since there is then no way to determine whether the respectivedecrypted original content is valid. In this case the decrypted originalcontent is always assumed to be valid and the encrypted production keyselected from the list must be correct as determined by other means,such as by use of the associated Appliance ID and/or contentdescriptions and/or Document ID, or otherwise.

As discussed above, the encrypting of the unencrypted initial contentcan be provided for in a number of alternative ways, including, but notlimited to one or more of a) Data Encryption Standard (DES); b) RC2; c)RC 4; d) Message Digest 5 (MD5); e) Rijndael; f) Triple DES; g) DigitalSignature Algorithm (DSA); and h) RSA.

Also, as discussed above, the unencrypted initial content can be any oneor more of many alternate different types, such as one or more of a)Textual data (a series of characters when displayed in a visualrepresentation provide a human recognizable information); b) image data(data that when displayed in a static visual representation impartshuman responses from color and brightness); c) audio waveform data (datathat when converted to pressure wave in air impart human responses fromsound); d) MIDI data (data that when converted audio waveform data andthen to pressure wave in air impart human responses from sound); e)video data (data that when displayed in a time-changing visualrepresentation imparts human responses from color and brightness andoptionally having an associated audio component); f) game data (datacontains settings, game data and other program setting); g) businessdata (data that contains information on the operation of the business);h) application program code data for an executable program of any sort,such as from word processor, and image processor to video game andinteractive entertainment; and other.

Referring to now FIG. 3, an alternate embodiment to that of FIG. 1 isshown, further illustrating the providing for controlled usage rights ofrespective encrypted content, illustrated as accomplished by use of anencrypted ticket defining usage rights and associated with therespective encrypted content. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the operation ofthe provider encryption services subsystem 104 relative to the consumerdecryption services subsystem 204 is substantially as discussed abovewith reference to FIG. 1. However, additionally, as illustrated in FIG.3, an output of the production key 140 (as used to encrypt respectiveselected original content to produce the respective encrypted content)is provided as an input to an encrypted ticket generator subsystem 401,which utilizing the production key associated with the respectiveencrypted content as an encryption key, encrypts a respective associatedgenerated ticket (defining usage rights for the respective encryptedcontent). The generated ticket is encrypted (using the respectiveassociated production key for the respective associated encryptedcontent) to generate an associated encrypted ticket for the respectiveencrypted content. [The encrypted ticket is utilized for communicationto the consumer subsystem 204.] The encrypted ticket is saved asillustrated, responsive to ticket logic, as a saved ticket. The ticketlogic (440) utilizes the decrypted production key copy (240), providedas an output internally within the recipient device (204) responsive todecryption within the consumer decryption services subsystem recipientdevice (204). The ticket logic 440 decrypts the encrypted ticketutilizing the production key copy, and provides for analysis andderivation of a ticket rights output and a usage rights output [(453)and (499), respectively], providing these outputs as inputs to usagecontrol logic (501). The usage logic (501) also receives as an input thetemporary unencrypted content output (200) from the consumer decryptionservices subsystem recipient device (204). Responsive to a requestedusage input (502), indicating a request for usage (such as viewing orprinting, or other usage privileges), the usage logic (501) isresponsive to the ticket rights output and reduced usage output from theticket logic (440), and based upon allowed usage rights and storedactual usage data, the recipient device subsystem (204) selectivelyprovides for an output (503) of allowed usages (such as viewing,printing (and how may copies), saving, exporting, allowing execution ofan application program, and optionally, selectively at what respectivelevel, etc.).

Granting rights to respective selected original initial content can bedone with an item called a ticket. A ticket is comprised of ticketcontent, that can be comprised of a ticket ID, a used indicator andother ticket components describing the usage rights the ticket isgranting. The ticket is encrypted with the same production key as theassociated respective selected original initial content to form theencrypted ticket.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the production system initially provides forgranting printing rights to a document. In this example, the otherillustrated ticket components are Appliance ID (e.g., which appliancewill be able to print), Document ID (e.g., an index identifying whichdocument to allow printing), expiration (e.g., date that rights expire),permissible times/dates for usage, permissible users of the appliance(e.g., which one (or more) recipient device consumer subsystem (204)),and allowable number of copies (number of usages or copies to allow(e.g., to be viewed, printed, saved, executed, etc.). A used indicatoris stored (as encrypted) in the recipient device and provides the numberof copies that can still be (are allowed to be) printed or otherwiseused. When the printed copies (or usage number) are equal to theallowable copies (or usage), no more printing (or usage) is allowed bythe recipient device (204), responsive to the ticket components.

Numerous other usage rights and tickets can be utilized in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention. For example, usage rightscan be set on some tickets so that some tickets never expire and thosetickets grant rights forever (until used up, if usage restrictionsapply). The recipient device (204) executing associated respectiveauthorized application software provides the necessary logic, alsoreferred to as a client engine. The recipient device (204) must maintainthe ticket in confidence to preserve the ticket from being tamperedwith. Thus, only the encrypted ticket can be allowed to be storedpermanently.

Additionally, a used indicator, where present, will need to be updatedwhen a right is used. In this case, the encrypted ticket is retrievedfrom storage by the recipient device (consumer subsystem) (204), and theapplication software within the recipient device (204) generates anAppliance ID used to decrypt the encrypted production key, to provide adecrypted production key. Then, the encrypted ticket is unencrypted withthe decrypted production key, and the decrypted ticket is checked to seewhether it applies to the current situation (to the respective encryptedcontent). The used indicator is decrypted and checked to determinewhether any usage rights are still available for this specificrespective appliance recipient device (consumer subsystem) (204). Then,if rights are still available, the decrypted ticket is modified toupdate the decrypted used indicator, and the updated ticket and updatedused indicator are then encrypted with the production key, and then theencrypted (updated) ticket is stored within the recipient device (204)for later use. All tickets should preferably be saved locally on theclient recipient device system as associated with the respectiveapplication software together, forever, so that the integrity of theused status can be maintained.

The storage structure for encrypted tickets usage can be in many forms.It is important however that usage and rights information be encryptedso it cannot be easily modified by unauthorized entities. If the ticketcannot be decrypted properly then no rights are granted. Even though therights and usage information may be available in an unencrypted form aswell, they cannot be used to grant rights. Without a properly decryptedticket, the unencrypted rights and usage information can only be usedfor searching and finding an appropriate ticket. Furthermore, anyattempts to modify the rights and usage information are identified, andif the unencrypted rights and usage information are not identical to theencrypted rights and usage information generated by a validated properlydecrypted respective encrypted ticket. If tampering with any ticket isfound, then that ticket is invalidated (all rights and usage are resetas not allowed).

An example of a storage structure for components of a ticket inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown belowusing an XML format.

Example Ticket

<g appid=“ffgukgfgaw09t” docid=“htgbuk4t000d9t11”tikid=“7ggt38sua0p1kw18t8” right=“print” number = “1” used=“−1” ticket=“7d2f7725a2327f293eb6c42c136bc688a1e3a 8b410b29a8f11df” />

In this above example, the structure utilized specifies several tags ascomponents. The “appid” tag specifies the respective valid appliance forthe respective ticket. The “docid” tag specifies the respective validDocument ID for the respective ticket. The “tikid” tag specifies theticket ID associated with the respective ticket for associative mappingthereto. The “right” tag specifies the type of right that is beinggranted. As illustrated, right=print (the right to print). The “used”tag specifies the number of prints that have been used. In this example,the value is “−1” which indicates that all the prints have been used.

The “ticket” tag specifies the encrypted rights and usage information.The value of the ticket tag will contain all the tags above and themaximum number of prints allowed which is part of the rights to begranted. The maximum number of prints allowed are used to determine whenthe usage tag should be changed to “−1” to indicate that no more printsare granted from this tag.

The ticket tag will look to the casual observer as a series of randomcharacters. However, when decrypted with the same key as the respectiveDocument ID, the respective unencrypted rights and usage information ismade available. For clarity of the example, a reduced length of thevalue of the ticket tag has been shown in this example. Preferably, itwould be much longer so that all the appropriate information can bestored in it.

In a preferred embodiment, the storage location for the encryptedtickets can be the local client storage in the recipient device. In thiscase, redundant storage is desired to minimize the loss of information.If stored redundantly, the tickets should be synchronized frequently, tomake sure they are identical. If found to not be identical, then, therecipient device system makes the decision on the usage rights for therecipient device in the direction of reducing the rights to the lowest(least) rights of the multiple redundant tickets. For example, if one ofthe redundant tickets indicates that one more print is available andanother redundant ticket (ticket ID identical) indicates that no printsare available, then, both redundant tickets are conformed (the one ischanged) to indicate no prints are available.

The storage location for the redundant encrypted tickets canalternatively or additionally be a host or remote server. The remoteserver can just provide the storage, or it can also provide some of theprocessing to determine whether to grant the rights. In the later case,the recipient device client subsystem running the respective applicationsoftware must send necessary information (e.g., Appliance ID, ticket ID,Document ID, etc., other ticket components) to the server. The serverthen generates an appropriate ticket after determining on the server theassociated respective perspective usage rights, and then the servertransmits a respective encrypted ticket back to the client.

In an alternate preferred embodiment, associated control data isprovided with the respective unencrypted content. In this embodiment,encrypting the unencrypted content is comprised of encrypting both theselected unencrypted original content together with respectiveassociated control data, responsive to the production key, to provideencrypted content and associated control data (e.g., either as aseparately provided associated encrypted ticket or as a combinedintegrated encrypted file [content and associated control data].

The associated control data defines usage rights for the respectiveassociated content, and is provided at the production subsystem (104)based on the requirements of the initial content provider. For example,in one embodiment, a recipient device appliance can be restricted so asto only permit predefined standard uses of the initial content (such asview only) even though the respective content can be enabled for otherusage capabilities (such as annotate, print, save, network, export,save). Alternatively, standard uses can be more fully featured, with theprovider making usage restrictions.] The provider [production system(104)] of the initial content can set up rights for exceptions to thestandard uses. These exceptions can also be encoded in the associatedcontrol data to provide for selective control of usage of the respectiveassociated content by the respective recipient device appliance. Thisassociated control data is encrypted with the same production key as theassociated respective initial original content. This encryption can bedone for one file (or portion) of selected initial content, or formultiple files of initial content (such as a grouping or collection offiles). This encrypted associated control data can be for one file, orfor the grouping, or one for each file in a grouping. The encryptedassociated control data is coupled (or otherwise provided) to a specificrecipient device appliance. The respective production key is encryptedby the production system (104), responsive to an appliance ID generatedby the specific appliance. Thereafter, the respective encryptedproduction key is provided to the respective specific appliance.Thereafter, the respective specific appliance locally generates anAppliance ID that is locally utilized by the specific appliance todecrypt the encrypted production key to generate a decrypted productionkey that is used to decrypt the encrypted content to generate respectivedecrypted content. The decrypted production key is also used to decryptthe respective encrypted associated control data to generate decryptedassociated control data. The decrypted associated control data is usedby the respective specific appliance to selectively control and providefor permitting only the allowed usage rights [as per the exceptions tothe standard uses (or defined permitted usages)] of the decryptedinitial content.

To provide a higher level of security, usage rights restrictions can bemade appliance specific. The selected initial (original) content isencrypted by the production subsystem (104), responsive to an associatedproduction key to create respective encrypted content. The encryptedcontent is transmitted, [or otherwise provided from the productionsystem (104) (trusted provider)], to the respective specific remoteappliance (recipient device). The associated production key is encryptedusing an Appliance ID provided from a specific remote appliance. Theencrypted production key is also transmitted (or otherwise provided) tothe remote appliance. The Appliance ID is then locally generated at theremote appliance and is used as a decryption key to unlock (decrypt) therespective encrypted production key to provide a respective decryptedproduction key. The decrypted production key is utilized within therecipient device remote appliance, (1) to decrypt the respectiveencrypted content to provide decrypted content, and (2) to decrypt therespective encrypted associated control data to provide decryptedassociated control data. The recipient device selectively permits onlypermitted usages of the respective decrypted content only on therespective specific recipient device remote appliance, and only inaccordance with and responsive to defined usage rights of the respectivedecrypted associated control data.

Thereafter, a display presentation can be selectively provided forviewing at the respective specific remote appliance responsive to theunencrypted initial content and respective associated control data(usage rights) providing content-view control. The respective specificrecipient device system can selectively permit printing of theunencrypted initial content responsive to the usage rights providing forcontent-print control.

The associated control data is set by the trusted provider (theproduction subsystem (104) (that is providing the respective associatedselected initial content), and can define many alternative usage rights,such as one or more of (a) viewing privileges [selectively allows theinitial content to only be viewed at certain times, or only for acertain length of time, or only for a limited number of times] orunlimited; (b) printing privileges [only allows the initial content tobe printed at certain times, or for a certain length of time, or only alimited number of times] or unlimited or not at all; (c) exportingprivileges [only allows the initial content to be exported at certaintimes, or for a certain length of time, or in certain file formats, oronly a limited number of times] or not at all; (d) partial accessprivileges [only allows certain parts of the initial content to beavailable, (for any use, or for specific uses)]; (e) access privileges[only allows certain programs to access the initial content]; (f)running and execution privileges, [only allows certain programs to runon the appliance, or selectively allows the respective decrypted content(e.g., a part or all of the respective selected initial content), to berun on the appliance and executed as a software application program];and (g) independent access privileges [the initial content provider mayrestrict operation at the recipient device so as to only allow certainprocesses to access the initial content].

As an example of operation, suppose that a user of a recipient device(e.g., the client) asks to print two copies of a controlled document ofprotected content. The recipient device would first check whether it hasbeen granted unlimited printing rights. If those rights are available,the recipient device-client authorizes the printing and proceeds toprint the document twice. If unlimited rights are not available, therecipient device-client searches for respective associated tickets thatare valid for this specific appliance, and the respective properDocument ID and that the ticket has the right tag defining usage rightsequal to “print”, and also that the respective ticket has the actualusage tag not equal to “−1” (See discussion elsewhere herein, regardingthe example ticket). The recipient device-client will decrypt the tickettag and check the ticket for validity using the document key for theDocument ID. If valid, and sufficient print rights remain, the recipientdevice-client will be revised to increment the usage tag [or set it to−1, if all the authorized copies have now been used]. The revised ticketis stored. Then, one print of the respective document is performed bythe recipient device. The second copy of the print follows the sameprocedure. The reason for repeating the process is because multipletickets may be required (or otherwise be used), (each ticket may onlyallow 1 print) or printing problems could occur that results in rightsbeing used up even though a print command doesn't actually physicallyprint. However, using the print rights up only one at a time,sequentially, allows the print process to be aborted without usingfurther rights. Alternatively, if desired, two print usages can beprovided for, and providing the ticket has two print usages left, theprint rights changed (appropriately for two print usages) in the ticketin one step.

The associated control data can be utilized to activate one or more of(at least one of): (a) viewing privileges; (b) printing privileges; (c)exporting privileges; (d) partial access privileges; (e) runningprivileges; and (f) independent access privileges. These privileges areselectively allowed by the respective application software running onthe specific appliance (recipient device), responsive to the respectiveassociated control data for associated selected content. The specificappliance is responsive to the associated control data to enable thestandard uses of the respective selected initial content [as per therespective initial content and/or as per respective application softwareoperational constraints, operating within the recipient device], and anyexceptions to those uses as per the associated control data. In oneembodiment of standard uses and exceptions, a specific recipient deviceappliance cannot share decrypted initial content with any otherappliance or for any use on any appliance that is not allowed by theserespective defined usage right privileges for the respective content.All other processes (e.g., operations within an appliance) and anyappliances that are selectively permitted and allowed access to therespective decrypted initial content must honor and adhere to theprivileges (e.g., usage rights) granted to them by the respectiveassociated usage rights.

Thereafter, a display presentation can be selectively provided at therespective remote appliance responsive to the respective unencryptedinitial content. Selective printing of the respective unencryptedinitial content can also be selectively provided, responsive torespective authorized usage rights of the respective associated controldata as to printing privileges.

The number of allowed prints (number of copies that are allowed to beprinted of the unencrypted content) is stored in and as a part of theassociated control data. A print count is also available to the specificappliance. This print count is either stored on the appliance or on aremote system. The print count is incremented every time a print is madeand the new revised value is stored, respectively, on the applianceand/or the remote system. Printing is not allowed of respective selectedcontent, if the print count is equal to or greater than the number ofprints allowed as set forth in the respective associated control data.

Thus, the consumer's recipient device (remote appliance) systemselectively provides a display presentation (at the remote appliance)responsive to the unencrypted initial content and to the respectiveassociated viewing privileges, (if any), and selectively permits localprinting of the unencrypted initial content responsive to the respectiveassociated control data printing privileges.

In an alternate embodiment, the system only selectively permits forviewing of the unencrypted initial content responsive to the presence ofassociated control data viewing privileges, to selectively provide adisplay presentation at the remote appliance responsive to theunencrypted initial content.

In another embodiment, the recipient device system provides means tocreate unencrypted (or encrypted) exported content at the remoteappliance responsive to the unencrypted initial content, responsive tothe associated control data exporting privileges.

Alternatively, the recipient device system can provide a means to createadditional unencrypted partial access content at the remote appliance(such as annotations) responsive to a portion of the unencrypted initialcontent, responsive to the associated control data partial accessprivileges. This can be accomplished in several ways. Two alternativesare presented here. First, the associated control data defines partialaccess privileges and provides for defining the beginning location andend location of the unencrypted initial content that is being granted.The remote appliance begins decrypting the encrypted initial content (asdescribed earlier), but does not store it until the beginning locationis reached. The content is then stored until the end location isreached. Then the decrypting stops because no further access rights havebeen granted as to the respective unencrypted initial content, as to therespective appliance. Second, the unencrypted initial content can beencrypted in blocks of data. Then the associated control data partialaccess privileges provide for defining the specific block of data (ofthe respective selected content) for which the appliance is beinggranted access to. Only this respective block of data is then decryptedfor permitting access to that respective block of data of the respectiveunencrypted initial content by the respective appliance.

In another alternative embodiment, the operation of an independentcomputing system, or operation of the decrypted content as an executablesoftware program on the specific appliance recipient device, iscontrolled responsive to the respective associated control data forrunning privileges for the respective decrypted content. The associatedcontrol data contains information on which running privileges areavailable for the respective associated selected content. Theindependent system (or recipient device) must check the associatedcontrol data before running. If the proper running privileges are notgranted for the respective associated selected content, then it will notallow that portion of the program to run.

In one aspect of this alternative embodiment, the associated controldata is utilized to provide for operation of an independent system andselectively regulates the independent system to permit access to therespective unencrypted initial content responsive to the respectiveassociated control data independent access privileges.

Tickets can be used in a number of ways to allow the use of protecteddigital content, also referred to as PDC. The most secure uses of thePDC never allow the digital content to be stored in part or its entiretyin an unencrypted form at any location. Practically, this is notpossible because no one would have use of it at all. so the owner of thePDC must determine how and how much of the PDC is used where. In orderto control “where” the PDC can be used, the recipient devicesimplementing this invention must be approved or otherwise authorized,and follow the restrictions placed on it by the owner of the PDC.However, this is difficult to 100% control, except in the most stringentsecurity situations. For instance, if the user is allowed to print aportion of the PDC on paper, then there is the exposure and risk that anoffice copy machine can make uncontrolled copies that portion of thatrepresentation of the PDC [notwithstanding copyright or other legalrestrictions which might make the activity illegal]. The owner of thePDC must determine if this is an acceptable risk. However, tickets allowthis decision and other like to be made appliance specific, on a “where”basis.

For instance, an encrypted document key can be sent to and stored on aspecific appliance. Thus, whenever the PDC is needed on that specificappliance, the specific appliance can retrieve the associated respectiveencrypted document key and use it to selectively decrypt and use the PDCas appropriate. However, the encrypted document key need not be storedon the specific appliance but can be stored in another device that needsto be connected to the specific appliance. Alternatively, the user ofthe appliance can enter the encrypted document key manually. Theseprovide alternative ways of controlling the where and when the PDC isused.

A ticket can also be supplied to a specific recipient device appliancethat allows a specific use of the PDC. Part of the ticket can be apassword that the user of the PDC must provide. It may also be requiredthat another specific device be connected to the specific recipientdevice appliance. It may also be required that multiple PDCs areavailable on the same specific appliance. For example, suppose a firstPDC, PDC-A, contains the social security numbers and associatedaddresses of every person in the United States. By default, theappliance can have the encrypted document key needed to access thisinformation but no rights to use it. A ticket could be issued to thatspecific appliance that allows the specific appliance to verify thesocial security numbers for a person if supplied with a number. Thespecific appliance would then allow the user of the specific applianceto enter a social security number and a name and verify that this is theperson's social security number or not. Now suppose that the specificappliance also has a PDC-B containing the social security benefits for alimited number of people. A ticket could be issued to that specificappliance to allow the PDC-A to provide the address from a socialsecurity number if that social security number is also available inPDC-B. The ticket can further be used to regulate and further restrictthe use of the protected information content so as to have the usersupply a password before being permitted to view the protected contentinformation. In addition, a device identifying the user (such as a smartcard) could be specified in the ticket and the information would not beallowed without that device being connected to the respective recipientdevice appliance.

As shown in the above example, a ticket can also be used to control theoperations that are allowed to use data in a PDC. In the previousexample, data from two different PDCs (PDC-A and PDC-B) was allowed tobe combined when a ticket allowed it. In the general sense, this is arelational database JOIN operation using SQL (ISO/IEC 9075 seehttp://www.iso.org), using a common field (social security number) torelate information in 2 different tables. this could extend to anynumber of other database operations using the SELECT, INSERT, SET,DELETE and many other clauses.

Regulated use operations in the examples herein, include printing,(saving/exporting, allowing execution of a program, and viewing.However, there are many more operations that are possible. A customanalysis of the data is possible. Also, the data could be used tocontrol a machine. For instance, a ticket could allow the appliance tomove an object via a motor in a certain way this is not allowedotherwise. A ticket could also control if and how much of the associatedPDC can be sent to another appliance. For instance, mapping programsallow the user to print out a one-page map but not the entire mappinginformation (unless the user prints each and every map possible whichwould be very time consuming). A ticket could also be used to allow theuser of an appliance to access certain user operations. For instance, ona recipient device appliance used for wagering, the ticket could allow auser to access certain areas of protected content, or to only performcertain operations, such as for wagering (such as horse racing, andvarious games of chance) on a per appliance (appliance specific)setting.

Tickets can also be used to control the type of operations that areallowed to run without the need for any PDC. These operations are thesame as above, but are not tied to a particular PDC. When the programruns, it checks tickets that give it the right to run. These tickets canbe complex, and can depend on when the program is run, how many times ithas run, requiring a password, requiring a specific device to beattached, requiring a barcode, fingerprint, retina or otherbiologically-related scan of a person or object.

The tickets can also determine what functions are available in aprogram. This allows an application program to be regulated andlimited-based on the associated respective tickets that allow certainoperations. The respective application program would check for theassociated respective tickets to verify and selectively allow a certainfunction to operate, before permitting the executing of the code forthat function.

Many programs also load plug-ins that allow the program to be extendedwith new functions. Tickets can additionally, or alternatively, beassociated with a plug-in. These tickets can control respectiveassociated plug-ins by having the respective associated plug-in checkthe respective associated ticket every time the respective plug-in isused. The plug-in is not even loaded, if it is not allowed to be run.

Tickets can be utilized to not only to authenticate and regulate usage,but to also set up the level of usage of the selected original content.Where the selected content is an application program, the associatedticket can even be used to regulate and to set up the functionality andthe feature set of the application software, variably set to a selectedlevel of feature set comprised of from between minimal functions andfeatures of a minimal feature set (e.g., bare bones), to a maximumfunctionality and features of a maximum feature set (e.g., fully maxedout). Thus, while selected content can be for one ubiquitousfull-featured application program, which during an activation set up (ona recipient device computing system) establishes and sets operabilitylevel to set, responsive to the associated usage rights ticket.

FIG. 4 illustrates the system of FIG. 3, with the addition of combininglogic (107) at the production system (104), and separating logic (108)in the recipient device (204). The provider subsystem (104) providesseparate outputs from its encryption logic (106) of encrypted content(120) and an encrypted production key (158) which are combined by thecombining logic (107) to provide a single combined output of encryptedcontent and encrypted production key encryption. As illustrated, theencrypted content is comprised of encrypted content with its respectiveassociated encrypted usage rights ticket. As illustrated, the encryptedcontent is comprised of a combination of selected encrypted content withits respective associated encrypted usage rights ticket. The recipientdevice (204) provides separating logic (108) that receives the combinedoutput (CO) as output from the combining logic (107), and separates thecombined output into individual separate outputs of encrypted content(with ticket) and associated respective encrypted production key asinputs to the decryption logic (109) of the recipient device (204), andthe encrypted ticket is coupled to input (441) of ticket memory andlogic (440), and thereafter, operation is as described in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate more detailed block diagrams of the providerencryption services subsystem 104 of FIGS. 1-4.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram with associated state flow,illustrating further details of the generation of encrypted productionkey outputs for use by the production system (104) as an encryption keyto use for encryption of respective associated content. The details of akey creation methodology and system are also described with reference toFIGS. 8, 16, and 17.

Referring to FIG. 5, the provider encryption logic (106) of theproduction system (104) is illustrated in further detail, as togeneration and usage of production encryption keys, as used forencrypting of respective associated content, associated control data,and usage rights tickets. An Appliance ID (157) (preferably jumbled), asgenerated from a specific recipient device (204), is coupled as an inputto encryption logic (103) of the production system (104) production keylogic (101) that provides for an output of a specific selectedproduction (encryption) key (135). The specific selected production keyis either generated (such as by a random number generator of keys, aseeded pool generator of keys, etc.), or selectively chosen from astored database of keys, etc. The production key (135) is coupled as aninput to the data input of the production key encryption logic (103),which encrypts the respective specific selected production key,responsive to the Appliance ID (157), to provide an encrypted output ofa respective encrypted production key (158), which is, preferablyjumbled first and, provided as an output from the production system(104), for even that input to the respective recipient device (thatprovided the respective Appliance ID (157) utilized as an encryptionkey. The production key (135) is also coupled as an input to anencryption key input to content encryption logic 9102). Selection logic(50) in the production system (104) provides for selection of aparticular file (or files) of specific particular original content, toprovide an output of selected original content (51) coupled as an inputto the data input of content encryption logic (102). The contentencryption logic (102) encrypts the selected original content (51),responsive to the associated respective specific particular productionkey (135), to provide an encrypted output of respective encrypted(selected) original content (120).

The selection logic (50) can be responsive to an operator (person) atthe production system (104), or responsive to on-line purchasetransactions, or a supplied order list, or in accordance with publishersor content owners' instructions, etc.

As illustrated and discussed hereinafter, the generation of theencrypted content and encrypted production key can be accomplished innumerous alternative ways, the choice being one of design tradeoffs.

FIG. 6 illustrates a detailed block diagram showing details for theproduction key encryption subsystem (103), illustrating the generationof the encrypted production key (162) from the respective production key(135), and an Appliance ID (157), (preferably, a jumbled Appliance IDsecurely communicated), coming from either the recipient deviceappliance (204), or a storage means (174) within (or external to) theproduction system for storing the Appliance ID from the respectiveappliance. The jumbling and unjumbling of encrypted production keyoutput and the Appliance ID output are design choices, not requirementsof the present invention, and are factors of the communicationsenvironment design choices. The choice of communication between theproduction system (104) and the consumer system recipient device (204)can alternatively be of jumbled or of non-jumbled signals, such asencrypted content, and/or encrypted production key, and/or Appliance ID.

FIG. 6, also illustrates an additional embodiment providing additionalsecurity. The Appliance ID (157) received by the production system (104)is, if needed first unjumbled (if it was originally jumbled), and isstored (174) as a stored Appliance ID, which is coupled as an ApplianceID output (156) coupled to the data input of appliance hash logic, whichis a copy of (equivalent to) corresponding to hash logic (153) that isused similarly at the recipient device for decrypting the production keytherein. A password is provided (151) [such as internally generated (andprovided securely to the respective content holding recipient device),or otherwise provided], as an encryption key input to the hash logic(153). The hash logic (153) utilizes the Appliance ID (156) (asoriginally generated at a specific recipient device), responsive to thepassword (PO), to generate a hash value (or encrypt with encryptionlogic to generate an encrypted value) of an associated appliance key[which is a copy of the appliance key (that is, it is the same) that therecipient device generates internally, responsive to being provided thepassword (PO) (such as via user entry of data into the recipient device,via download, or otherwise), and responsive to the internal generationof the respective Appliance ID].

The appliance key output (AK) is coupled as an input to the (encryption)key input of appliance key encryption logic (160). The respectiveselected production key (135) is coupled as an input to the data inputof encryption logic (160), which encrypts the respective selectedproduction key (135), responsive to the respective appliance key (AK),to provide an output of respective encrypted production key (162). Wherejumbling is desired, jumble logic (176) provides a jumbled encryptedproduction output (158), responsive to jumbling according to definedlogic, the encrypted production key (162).

As discussed hereinabove, jumbling refers to processing of content to becommunicated in a secure method. Jumbling can be accomplished innumerous alternative ways, such as use of secure socket layer (SSL),encryption, etc.

FIG. 7 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the content encryptionsubsystem 102, utilizing the selected production key (133) andassociated selected original unencrypted content (101) to generate arespective encrypted original content output (120). The production key(135) is coupled as an encryption key input (110 k) and coupled to ahash (or other one-way encryption function) logic (110). The encryptionkey input (110 k) provides the parameter to encrypt or lock [and decryptor unlock], to provide for encryption (and later decryption) of theselected original unencrypted content (101) to produce an output ofencrypted content (120). As described in detail elsewhere herein, anyhashing or alternative encryption logic (and its inverse for decryption)can be used consistent with the present invention for encrypting anddecrypting of the original content, the production encryption key, theAppliance ID, the Appliance Key, a Document ID, and the ticket orassociated control data.

FIG. 8 illustrates a more detailed diagram of the production keygeneration subsystem 101, which provides for selection (137) of aproduction key (135) from either a saved key (133) or by generation (byany means that is secure) of a new key (131). Selection logic (137)[such as responsive to a software programmed function, or responsive toa person, or otherwise], provides control for selecting (139) for a newkey (131) to be generated (130), or for a stored key (133) to beutilized. The selecting of the production key (139) provides an outputof a selected production key (135) for use within the production system(104). When newly generated, the new production key (135) is stored(136) as a saved key (136) for other use, and/or as associated withrespective selected content, and is stored as a saved key for use as aproduction key (132). A production key (135) is used to encryptassociated respective selected content to create encrypted content. Theproduction key (135) is also usable to encrypt associated control data,or a ticket, or a Document ID, etc. Thereafter, the production key isneeded to provide the decryption key input to an equivalent hashfunction (or other encryption/decryption function) to unlock and decryptthe respective encrypted content to produce a copy of the originalencrypted content. In a preferred embodiment, an index variable (such asa Document ID) is associated with and stored with the respectiveencrypted content and the associated respective production key, so as tomap the respective production key to its associated respective selectedcontent and other encrypted data, (if any), that was encrypted usingthat respective production key.

FIGS. 9-12 provide further details of the consumer decryption servicessubsystem (the user's appliance or recipient device) 204 of FIGS. 1-4.

FIG. 9 illustrates the block diagram and data flow, at the recipientdevice (204), related to the utilization of the communicated encryptedcontent, and (jumbled) encrypted production key. The recipient device(204) utilizes an internally generated (204) Appliance ID (186) as adecryption key input to production key decryption logic (204), whichutilizes the Appliance ID as the decryption key to decrypt the encryptedproduction key (188) to generate a production key copy (240), andutilizes the production key copy to decrypt an encrypted content copy(220) [as provided from a production system (104)], to provideunencrypted content output (200), that is stored (preferably, only kepttemporarily in memory, and only during permitted usages). Furthermore,usage of the decrypted content at the recipient device is selectivelyprovided responsive to and in accordance with the permitted usagerights.

FIG. 10 illustrates in generating of the Appliance ID and jumbledAppliance ID (where utilized) in the subsystem (204) for usage withinthe consumer decryption services subsystem (204) and provided,preferably in a protected format, to the producer subsystem (104). Therecipient device (204) computing system executes an authorizedapplication program, which obtains appliance data (171) from within thehardware and software of the recipient device (204), which appliancedata is input to a hash logic (172) (or other obfuscation or encryptionmeans) to internally generate a generated Appliance ID (186), which is(1) provided as an internal Appliance ID signal (186) distributed withinthe recipient device (204), and, (2) provided as an output for input tothe production system (104). As illustrated, the internally generatedAppliance ID (186) is input to jumble logic (173) which processes theinternally generated Appliance ID (186) to generate a jumbled ApplianceID output (187), for coupling to the production system (104). Asdiscussed elsewhere herein, jumbling (and unjumbling) are design optionchoices, and the use or non-use, either is compatible with the presentinvention.

FIG. 11 illustrates the decryption of the production key within therecipient device (201), providing for decryption of the encryptedproduction key utilizing the internally generated Appliance ID togenerate an appliance key utilized to decrypt the encrypted productionto provide a production key copy output to the consumer decryptionsubsystem (204). Where jumbling is utilized, the jumbled signal (such asjumbled encrypted production key) is first dejumbled (such as to createan unjumbled encrypted production key) as a part of the process, asappropriate. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the jumbled encrypted productionkey (199), as input to the recipient device (204), is coupled as aninput to dejumble logic (177), which processes the jumbled encryptedproduction key to provide an output of an encrypted production key (182)which is coupled as a data input to key decryption logic (26).Additionally, the internally generated Appliance ID (186) is coupled asa data input to appliance key hash logic (153), which (as illustrated)is responsive to a predefined password input (151) providing a key inputto the appliance key has logic (153) [or other encryption logic type].The use of the password is optional, and is utilized for highersecurity, requiring a password to decode (decrypt/hash) the Appliance IDto generate an appliance key. Alternatively, the use of a password isnot required, and the internally generated Appliance ID is used directly(or after some processing), as a decryption key for the production keydecryption logic (260). The production key decryption logic (260)decrypts the encrypted production key (182), responsive to the appliancekey (as a decryption key), to provide an output of a decryptedproduction key (copy) (240).

FIG. 12 is a detailed block diagram of the content decryption subsystem(202), of the consumer decryption subsystem (204), providing fordecryption by data content decryption logic (210), (220) as coupled tothe data input of the data content decryption logic (210), and of theencrypted content copy (240) coupled as a decryption key input to thedata content decryption logic (210) utilizing the production key copywherein the data content decryption logic generates the unencryptedcontent (200) (preferably stored only temporarily) for use by theconsumer decryption subsystem (204).

FIGS. 13-15 illustrate various aspects of the generation, encryption,decoding, and utilization of the rights ticket.

FIG. 13 illustrates the encrypted ticket generator (401) (as in FIGS.3-4) of the production system (104), providing an encrypted ticketoutput (408), defining and providing for associated defined rights,allowed usages, and Ticket IDs for respective associated protectedcontent. The encrypted ticket output (408) is associated with itsrespective production key (140) and the respective associated encryptedcontent. The production system (104) provides defined outputs forpermitted rights (402) [defining those features, functions and optionsthat are to be selectively restricted or permitted], allowed usage (403)[defining limits or restrictions on permitted rights, such as how manyprint copies are to be allowed for respective associated protectedcontent, how many exports of are allowed for a respective associatedprotected content, etc.], a ticket ID [for uniquely identifying theticket (such as for use in indexing or mapping of a respective ticket torespective associated protected content or a respective associatedproduction key)], and a respective production key associated with therespective ticket ID (404) and the respective encrypted ticket (408).Ticket data generation logic (405) processes the inputs of rights (402),allowed usage (403) and a ticket ID (404) to generate (according todefined logic) a respective ticket output (406) that is coupled as adata input to ticket encryption logic (407). The respective associatedproduction key (140) is coupled as an encryption key input to the ticketencryption logic (40-7), which responsive tot he production key (104)encrypts the ticket (406) to generate an encrypted ticket (408) that isprovided for output to a specific recipient device (as associated withrespective protected content for the specific recipient device. Theencryption of the respective production key (140), responsive to thegenerated Appliance ID of a particular specific appliance recipientdevice provides for appliance specific mapping of the respectiveencrypted content encrypted ticket and encrypted production key to be tothe respective specific appliance associated with the respectivegenerated Appliance ID. This is because the encrypted production key canthen only be decrypted at the particular specific recipient device togenerate the decrypted production key (copy) that can then be used todecrypt the respective associated encrypted content and respectiveassociated encrypted ticket at that particular specific recipientdevice.

FIG. 14 illustrates ticket decoding at the consumer decryption subsystem(204), and the utilization therein of a ticket decoding subsystem (430).The encrypted ticket output (408) of the encrypted ticket generator(401) is coupled to a data input of decryption logic (432). Theproduction key (copy) (240) is coupled to a decryption key input of thedecryption logic (432), which responsive thereto, processes theencrypted ticket to decrypt it, to generate a ticket copy (433) which iscoupled as an input to ticket decode logic (434) which decodes theticket copy (433) [according to predefined logic] to determine andprovide an output of Rights (435) and Allowed Usages (436) and Ticket ID(437) and its verification. Since (for appliance specific-basedprotection), the generated Appliance ID is needed to unlock (decrypt)the encrypted production key, this insures that only the specificappliance for the respective Appliance ID can in any way use theencrypted content or encrypted ticket.

FIG. 15 illustrates the saved ticket subsystem (440) (of FIGS. 3-4),showing details of the overall system operation (and data flow and stateflow), for the encrypted ticket generator (401), and the resultingticket decoding (430). The recipient device (204) provides a usagerequest for specific selected protected content (42) [which initiatesthe processing of that request by the recipient device (204)] that iscoupled as an input to request response logic (442). Ticket decodinglogic (430) decrypts the encrypted ticket (copy) (441) responsive to theproduction key (copy) (240), and provides outputs of a ticket ID (437)[coupled as an input to the request response logic (442)], allowed usage(436) [coupled as an input to anti-tampering logic (446) which resolvesconflicting allowed usage information among multiple stored informationfor said allowed usage by selecting the least usage rights (leastallowed usage)], and rights (435) defining permitted rights for thespecific selected content [coupled to rights selection logic (447) forresolving conflicting rights information as among multiple storedinformation for said respective rights]. The request response logic(442), responsive to the usage request (42) and the ticket ID (437),retrieves the respective associated ticket from the saved tickets (451),checking for all locations where multiple stored information exists forsaid respective ticket, and provides one of a ticket not availableoutput [coupled as an input to saved ticket decoding logic (430), whichdecrypts the encrypted saved ticket responsive to the production key(copy) (240) to provide decrypted outputs of allowed usage (436) andticket ID (437) coupled as inputs to default ticket information logic(443) which responsive thereto provides outputs of default allowed usage(444) [provided as an input to anti-tampering logic (446)] and defaultrights (445) [coupled as an input to rights selection logic (447), whichhas its other input coupled to the decoded ticket rights output (435)].The rights selection logic (447) selects the lesser of the permittedrights [default rights (445) versus decoded ticket rights (435)] toprovide an output of ticket rights (449), which is coupled within therecipient device for usage in regulating the permitted rights andallowed usage in accordance with the ticket rights (449) for respectiveassociated specific selected content. The ticket rights output (449) isalso coupled as an input [at (402)] to encrypted ticket generator logic(401).

The anti-tampering logic (446) is responsive to the inputs of thedefault allowed usage (444) and the decoded ticket allowed usage (436),to select to lesser of the allowed usages represented thereby so as toprovide an output of determined usage rights (448) [which is coupled asan input to usage regulation logic (452) which reduces the determinedallowed usage (as per the usage request (42)), such as by subtractingone (1) use (e.g., if the request was to print one copy, and the allowedusage is to print one (1) copy, then the usage reduction logic (452)reduces the allowed usage by the one printout requested, to leave zero(0) copies allowed to be printed]. The reduced allowed usage is outputand coupled to both (1) other processes within the recipient device, and(2) as an input (403) to the encrypted ticket generator logic (401). Thedecoded ticket ID (437) is also coupled as an input to the encryptedticket generator (401), which responsive to the ticket rights (449)input (402), the decoded ticket ID (437) input (404), and the reducedallowed usage (453) input (403), provides an output of a revisedencrypted ticket (408) which is coupled for storage (450) of the revisedticket which is stored among saved tickets (451). Additionally, thestore ticket logic (450) provides a changed output coupled as an inputto check location logic which provides for storing (and maintaining anindex of the storage) the respective ticket (or portions thereof) in oneor multiple locations, and provides a location output coupled to boththe store ticket logic (450) and the request response logic (442), inboth cases, providing for selective storage (or retrieval) of all storedlocations for a respective ticket (or portions thereof).

Referring to FIG. 16A, a methodology and system providing for thesecured communications of protected content, as well as for the secureviewing and/or printing and/or exporting of the content, is provided.Referring to FIG. 16A, selected original unencrypted content (100) iscoupled as an input to the data input of data content encryption enginelogic (110), which responsive to a production key (135) coupled as aninput to the key input of data content encryption logic (110), providesfor encrypting the original content (100) to provide an output ofencrypted content (120). The encryption of the selected original content(100) is processed by the encryption subsystem (102) [e.g., the dashedbox (102)], as per the state flow is as indicated and discussed withreference to the components within the encryption subsystem (102). Aproduction encryption key creation subsystem (101) [also referred to asproduction key or key] and methodology and state flow therefor, are alsodiscussed as illustrated in FIG. 16A. As illustrated, selection logic(134) provides for generation of a production key by either (1)generating a random key (130). This can be done in any convenient way,such as using discrete logic, or a state machine programmed with avariable, or a software routine, or other means to provide a new key(61) output (e.g., random number or polynomial generator, seeded pool,etc.) of a new key output (131); or alternatively, (2) the selectionlogic (134) accesses from storage a previously saved key (or keys) (132)are provided as an output (133) coupled to the selection logic (134).The selection logic (134), thus, selectively provides one of a new keyor a saved key, in accordance with defined rules. In one embodiment, anew key is created periodically, and then utilized as a saved key for adefined period of time. Alternatively, a new key can be used for eachfile, or for a group of related files. As illustrated in FIG. 16A, thesaved key output (133) or new key output key (131) are selected andcoupled to the selection logic (134) which provides an output of therespective specific production key (135) which output is coupled to both(1) storage (60) logic for storing the respective specific productionkey (135) as a saved key in storage (132), which the saved key can laterbe utilized and retrieved as a previously saved key (132); and (2) therespective specific production key output (135) is also coupled andprovided as an input to the encryption key input (140) of contentencryption logic (110). Numerous techniques can be utilized to generateor create the random key by the key creation logic (130). Additionally,numerous types of encryption technology can be utilized for the datacontent encryption logic engine (110).

In a preferred embodiment, a conversion program creates a new randomproduction key on request. It also allows setting of a production key toa previously generated production key. In one embodiment, whenconverting a group of documents, the first document created gets a newproduction key and the remaining documents in the group use the sameproduction key as the first. This allows all the documents to be openedwith a single document key. These documents can be sold together as asingle package (e.g., such as a file or a CD-ROM).

For an extra level of security, a password level of security can beadded on top of and in addition to the use of the Appliance ID todecrypt and decrypt the respective production key. The production key(135) is also coupled to a production key encryption subsystem (103).The production key (135) is coupled a Data Input of Production KeyEncryption Logic (160). In the illustrated embodiment, a first password151, is generated, which can be done by numerous means including ashared password content, or a generated password according to definedcriteria, or provided as part of a transaction processing, etc. Thefirst password (151) is coupled to appliance hash logic (153) [anequivalent copy to a corresponding hash logic in the respectiverecipient device generating the Appliance ID (156)], which responsive toan externally provided Appliance ID (156) provides an output of anappliance key (copy) (155) which is provided as an encryption key inputto the production key encryption logic engine (160). The production keyencryption logic (160) encrypts the production key (135) responsive tothe Appliance Key (155) to provide an output of encrypted production keyoutput (162).

The encrypted content (120) and the encrypted production key (162) areboth provided as outputs coupled to, and to be utilized by, a respectiveassociated recipient device (the consumer's appliance) to reconstruct acopy of the selected original unencrypted content (100). In order toprovide for data rights management, decryption of both the encryptedcontent (120) and of the encrypted production key (162) are required atthe recipient device, because the decrypted production key is needed(and used) to decrypt the encrypted content (120). To provide appliancespecific control of decryption, the unique Appliance ID associated witha specific appliance is generated within the respective specificrecipient device appliance and coupled to the production system (104),and is used therein to decrypt the respective specific encrypted content(120), and is also utilized in the respective recipient device as acritical element in decrypting the production key necessary to providethe encrypted production key (162) coupled to the specific consumer'srecipient device (204) that provided the respective Appliance ID. Theencrypted production key (182) can only be used by the specificrespective recipient device (204) provided the respective Appliance ID(or passworded Appliance Key) is utilized to encrypt the respectiveproduction key.

The recipient device generates the respective Appliance ID (or ApplianceKey) (65), which is needed to generate a respective password protectedAppliance Key (66), which is coupled to a decryption key input of thekey decryption logic (260), which responsive thereto, utilizes theAppliance Key to decrypt the encrypted production key to generate arespective decrypted production key (240) as a decryption key input tocontent decryption logic (260), which responsive to the decryptedproduction key, decrypts a (copy) of the encrypted content (102) whichprovides an output of decrypted content (71). As illustrated in FIG.16A, the recipient device appliance at the consumer remote locationprovides appliance data (170) uniquely generated from within theappliance itself (such as via software running on the recipient deviceappliance). Examples of types of factors that can be utilized asappliance data include network address card address, MAC address,processor ID, etc. The output from the appliance data generation logic(170) is coupled to appliance hash logic (172) which generates aninternally created Appliance ID (156) which is provided (either througha jumble, without jumbling/unjumbling, unjumble logic (174) in theproduction system (104), or through direct connection), as an ApplianceID output (156) coupled to the product key encryption subsystem (103).Additionally, the internally generated Appliance ID (156) is coupled(within the recipient device) as a Data Input to the Appliance Key hashlogic (153) corresponding to the Appliance Key hash copy logic (153),and responsive to the first password (75) that is provided as an inputto the appliance hash key hash logic (153), which provides an output ofa generated appliance key (185), corresponding to the appliance key copy(155). The appliance key (185) is provided as a decryption key input toDecryption Logic (260), inversely corresponding to the encryption logicengine (160). The encrypted production key (162) is provided as an inputto the Decryption Key input of Decryption Logic (160) of the ProductionKey Decryption Subsystem (203), either directly jumble logic (176) ofthe Production Subsystem (104) and unjumble logic (177) of the consumerrecipient device subsystem (204). The encrypted production key (182) iscoupled to the decryption production key logic (203) as a Data Input tothe Production Key Decryption Logic (260) which responsive to thegenerated Appliance ID (156) provides as an output the production key(copy) (240) corresponding to the production key (140). The productionkey copy (240) is output from the Production Key Decryption Logic (260)and is coupled to the Decryption Key input of the Data ContentDecryption Logic (210) [corresponding to the inverse of the Data ContentEncryption Logic (110). The encrypted content (copy) (120)[corresponding directly to the encrypted content (120)] is coupled as aninput to the Data Input of the Content Decryption Logic (260) of theContent Decryption Subsystem (202). The Data Content Decryption Logic(210) performs a decryption of the Encrypted Content (copy) (210), [theDecryption Logic inversely corresponding to the encryption of DataContent Encryption Logic (110) of the production subsystem (104)],responsive to the production key input (240), to provide an output ofunencrypted content (200). In a preferred embodiment, the unencryptedcontent (200) is stored in the recipient device on a temporary basisonly, preferably in transient memory (e.g., volatile RAM), and pursuantto defined criteria, so as to further maintain maximum protection of therespective protected original content. The temporary nature of thedecrypted content (200) is regulated by providing for maintaining thedecrypted content in the unencrypted state, defined according tocriteria such as only during permitted uses and/or only for a definedtime period, and/or only during defined operations, etc.

Referring to FIG. 16B, an alternate embodiment of FIG. 16/a isillustrated, identical to FIG. 16, except for the addition that theselected encrypted content (120) is combined [via the Combining Logic980) of the Production Subsystem (104)] with the encrypted productionkey (162) so as to provide a combined single output to provide to theconsumer a respective specific recipient device (204) as a combinedsingle file (81). On the consumer (recipient device) appliance side, thecombined single file (81) is separated by Separation Logic (82) [of therespective specific recipient device (204] back into separate outputs ofa respective encrypted content (copy) and a respective encryptedproduction key (copy) (240), which are then processed in the recipientdevice (204) [of the consumer], as discussed above with reference toFIG. 16A. The Content Decryption Logic (260) decrypts the encryptedproduction key (182) and then uses the decrypted production key (182) asa Decryption Input to Content Decryption Logic (210) to decrypt therespective encrypted content (copy) (210) so as to provide an output ofrespective corresponding unencrypted content (200). As illustrated inFIG. 16B, separate communications are not required, and only a singlecombined communication of one file is needed from the ProductionSubsystem (104) to the end user at the (consumer) recipient device(204).

In accordance with an additional embodiment, it is often the case thatthe Appliance ID of the customer is not initially known at the time ofencrypting the selected original content, and another initial method ofidentifying a legitimate purchaser of the product must be provided. Inone embodiment, with each product (of encrypted content), a serialnumber and password are provided. The consumer must supply a validserial number, password, email and Appliance ID to obtain theirauthorization, referred to as a Document Key (also referred to asAppliance Key Appliance Authorization). This authorization is preferablysent by email, but can be handled via phone or fax or otherwise,preferably in a validated manner. The serial number and password can becombined, but separating them allows the serial number to be placed onthe outside of a product package for tracking purposes, and permits theuse of preprinted security labels (such as holograms) for the serialnumber.

In accordance with one embodiment, the encrypted content provides anencrypted secure format (ESF) file. The ESF file is created once and isnot changed. For database management and control, a Document ID iscreated at the time of creation, which uniquely identifies thisdocument. This allows the document to be referred to by the host(provider subsystem (104)) as well as provided between multiple ones ofthe consumer recipient devices (appliances) to identify a file uniquely,even if the user-friendly title (e.g., the name of a file) is changed.Because the file is only encrypted once and remains the same, theconversion (time-consuming part) is done only once and the files can beeasily distributed on CD-ROM. However, for security, only by having anappropriate specific Document Key associated with a respective specificappliance [e.g., such as only that specific appliance can generate therespective Appliance ID used to create the encrypted Document ID, andonly that respective specific appliance (or appliances) will be able toopen or use the distributed files on the respective specificappliance(s)].

ESF production does not require knowledge about Encrypted Security Key(ESK), appliance authorization or Appliance IDs. ESF production requiresthe ESF file (ESF) and the Production Encryption Key, also referred toas a Production Key, or Encrypted Security Key (ESK) or an ESZ file(ESZ). If the Production System (104) is encrypting “singles”, that isstand-alone selected original content files, then a new production keycan be specified each time.

Regarding encryption for singles there are multiple choices. Forexample, a custom encryption can be used that requires the user of therecipient device to have an Encrypted Security Key, and uses a genericencryption that allows any appliance running respective applicationsoftware to open it (no production key is generated). Thus, without aproduction key, there are no appliance specific restrictions on controlusage. However, both types of encryption (with and without ProductionKey) can provide for restricted control of usage rights, and can forexample, regulate and have the print and export options selected, andcan further provide that only respective application software (referredto as ESF programs) can read or otherwise use the protected documents.One reason to consider using the generic encryption, at least for sometitles (especially public domain based), is that the cost of production(and to the consumer) is less, because there is no need for a ProductionKey. Obtaining the Production Key (and to a lesser extent the documentkey) requires more transactions on the purchase, so adds to the cost.Thus, generic encryption lowers the cost of goods sold. However, withgeneric encryption, the control of which specific recipient deviceappliance the protected content can run on is lost. However, manyproducts find this acceptable (such as iTunes that live with this). Thechoice is again one of design tradeoffs.

In a preferred embodiment, for production, at the production subsystem(104), the production key can be specified as “fixed” to a predefinedvalue (or values) when converting the generic option.

Usage rights control usage of respective associated protected content.There are many usage options. Each option can disable or enable (onapplications that have this capability) the ability to Use a protecteddocument (and how many times), such as printing, saving, exporting, etc.

The export option limits the types of export allowed. With one exportoption, a document can be exported, providing all its components use thesame production key. For example, this allows someone to save his or herannotations with a respective protected document, but still requires thesame document key (or Appliance ID or Appliance Key) to open it. Ifexport is allowed, the document and the annotations can be exported. Inan alternate embodiment, the document and annotations can be exported,but are first assigned another production key used to encrypt them. Thistechnique can also be used to combine two or more documents into one.

Document attributes for and associated with selected original contentcan be set as desired. The title is usually included. More attributescan be specified and they are completely a design choice, and can bearbitrary. Common attributes for sheet music include composer, part,instrument, copyright notice, etc. One can specify as many attributes aswanted. In one embodiment, a fixed predefined number is provided for,such that, for example, any 5 attributes can be specified. And theseattributes can be different on each document, although it will ingeneral be desirable to standardize. Alternatively, any number ofattributes can be specified.

Bookmarks can be selectively set during the encryption conversionprocess. For example, an ActiveX component can support this usingdescription/page numbers information in a database. For further examplesof Bookmarking, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,074,999, and7,098,392 (assigned to the same Assignee as the present application),and is incorporated herein by reference.

Basic Production Workflow begins by specifying where on the system theoriginal control file (text, PDF, or other image file program code file,etc.) to be converted is located. The file name of the output (ESF) fileand a temporary directory for intermediate files (can be the same as theoutput ESF directory) must also be specified. There are a number ofsettings that control the conversion process. These include, forexample, selecting production key, single/group, generic/custom, usagerights, etc.

An important setting is usage rights and the production key when set tocontrol the use of the ESF file on particular appliances. The controllogic will generate a random new key. The generated production key isalso available AFTER the conversion process. If converting several filesprovided in a collection that is sold as a package, then one can usethat same production key for the remaining files in the collection afterthe key is generated for the first one processed.

Thus, in summary, the basic operations of production side [of theProduction Subsystem (102)] for providing encrypted content are:

-   -   Select the original content to be protected.    -   Save the file (original content) on the system or identify where        it is stored.    -   Set the conversion parameters including the production key (or        request a new one to be created).    -   Start the conversion.    -   Retrieve the production key if you requested a new one.    -   Move the ESF file (encrypted) to where ever you want to save it.    -   Move the ESZ file (production key) to wherever you want to save        it.    -   Remove the original file if it isn't in a permanent location.    -   The conversion generator then cleans up after itself.

ESZ (Production Key) files are only created when the system is using acustom production key. This file is for internal purposes only, shouldbe kept confidential and should not be sent to the customer. Customersonly receive encrypted production keys or encrypted document keys (thatare in part comprised of a production key).

In summary, the overall Production Workflow operations are:

-   -   Obtain the production key file (ESZ) from ESF Workflow.    -   Run the Encryption program (e.g., eSEncrypt program) on the        original content (e.g., text, image, PDF files) to be encrypted        (creates encrypted ESE files).    -   Move the ESE files to wherever you want to save them.

Next, Consumer Key Generation is provided.

-   -   The consumer identifies himself (serial number, password,        registered email, etc.). This step is optional, but desirable        for accounting and other purposes.    -   The consumer's appliance provides the Appliance ID associated        with the consumer (or, if already previously and on the host        system, requested, is retrieved from the ESF database). The        Appliance ID is generated by application software running        (executing) on the specific recipient device appliance from        internal appliance data therein.    -   The Appliance ID and Production Key for the respective selected        document are used to create a Document Key (Decryption Key)        which is stored in a file. For example, the Appliance ID can be        used to encrypt the respective production key (with or without        use of a password), to provide the document key.    -   The Document Key file is sent to the consumer via the        (registered) email, or otherwise.    -   The consumer saves the Document Key file in the appropriate        directory where it can be used to validate the document for that        appliance. Alternatively, the document key information is        manually entered into the application by the consumer.        Thereafter, the consumer's specific appliance utilizes the        document key to decrypt the encrypted Production Key so as to        permit decryption and access and use of the respective encrypted        content.

FIG. 17 illustrates the data storage structure and components therein,for the encrypted secure format (ESF) for protected content andassociated encrypted production key (ESZ) as illustrated and discussedelsewhere herein.

FIG. 17 illustrates the data structure and component layering for theESF protected content data file format (500) and the associatedproduction file structure encryption key (ESZ) (510). The ESF fileformat (500) is comprised of multiple components (501, 502, 503, 504,505). The components as illustrated can be interchangeably comprised ofmultiple individual and mutually exclusive file components, each beingseparately selectively encrypted and/or compressed independent of theothers, and all components together as an ESF file (500) being encryptedwith the same respective production key (ESZ) (510). Preferably, asillustrated in FIG. 17, one of the component layers (505 asillustrated), includes an ESF ID (or Document ID), and can also includeother data such as a production key ID, other unique ID, time of day,date, user ID, etc. Additionally, one of the component layers preferablyincludes mapping data information relating to the contents of the ESFdata file structure (500), and identifying the individual componentswithin that specific file 500.

The ESF data file structure (500) is comprised of multiple components.On such component is an ENC component representing the encryptedprotected content (such as any one or more of an image or other text,application program code, etc.), which can be any content component,such as element (501) of the data word structure (500). The ESF datafile structure can also include a component of data file structure forannotations or other overlay information that can be provided asassociated with the encrypted content.

In a preferred embodiment, a part of each component is a descriptor ofthe component for that respective component (i.e., what that componentis, whether the component is encrypted or not, whether the respectivecomponent is compressed or not, and any other unique IDs ordescriptors).

Associated with each ESF file (500) is a respective specific relatedproduction encryption key (ESZ), which contains the encrypted productionkey utilized to encrypt the ESF file (500) components (at least thosethat are to be encrypted). The production encryption key (510) furtheroptionally contains additional data such as an ESF ID, an ESZ ID, andassociated mapping or index data for associating the production key toone or more specific ESF files (500).

This additional data, and/or associated mapping feature can beespecially useful where an entire grouping of file components is placedon a single storage medium such as a CD-ROM for mass distribution.Thereafter, the specific associated production encryption key that wasutilized for encrypting of content for one or more specific CD-ROMs canbe easily located, associated with and ultimately communicated to andutilized by the recipient device user having that CD-ROM. One encrypted(ESF) file (500) can contain multiple components (sub-files) which eachhave a unique name within this ESF file, wherein each component can beselectively encrypted and/or compressed on an individual basis, mutuallyexclusive of the other components of the respective ESF file. In apreferred embodiment, one component is selected original content to beprotected, and, where present, another component defines usage rights(such as with tickets). These are both examples of types of componentsthat should always be encrypted. Other components can be encrypted ornot, depending on intended permitted uses to be allowed at a recipientdevice (or devices). Generally, if a component is associated with ausage rights ticket or is otherwise to have its usage restricted, thenthat component must be encrypted. Usage rights tickets can be associatedwith any type of encrypted content (component), to provide for usageregulation of the respective decrypted content (or any usable feature orfunction thereof) on respective recipient devices (appliances). In apreferred embodiment, only the trusted provider's production system cancreate and assign usage rights (tickets). In an alternate embodiment,the user's recipient device is further comprised of a local means forticket generation and encryption logic to permit encryption of locallystored content. Restricted usage rights are added to at the recipientdevice to otherwise permitted usages for the respective locally storedcontent. In another alternate embodiment, the recipient device can addusage restriction to content but only as to permitted usages not alreadyrestricted by a usage rights ticket.

In general, when a modification is made to a usage rights (ticket)restriction on usage and is after-added to protected content, thatcontent must already be encrypted with usage restrictions that are morerestricted than the to be granted ticket will permit. Thereafter, theproduction system (trusted provider) (or authorized recipient device, inone embodiment) can provide a ticket that can be used after the fact,[that is, after the encrypted content is already out of control of thetrusted provider's production system (e.g., on a recipient device)] togrant additional rights which were originally restricted as part of therespective content original encryption.

In an alternative embodiment, one of the components of the ESF filestructure (500) of FIG. 17 is the respective encrypted production keywhich is itself the data content that is the file content for thatcomponent.

FIG. 18 illustrates a flow chart and state flow diagram for productionsystem encryption of selected content for a specific recipient device.

As illustrated in FIG. 18, to start (520), specific original content(522) is selected as selected original content (523), from the originalcontent. The selected original content (523) is coupled as a data inputto encryption logic (524) (providing an encryption engine) encryptedresponsive to a selected generated encrypted production key (533) outputfrom the production encryption key generator subsystem (532). Responsiveto a request (from the production subsystem) to have selected originalcontent encrypted (530), the production encryption key generation logic(532) begins (530), to provide a selected production key (533) coupledas a Key Input for encryption logic (524) which responsive theretoprovides an output of encrypted content [EC] (525). Furthermore, theproduction key (533) is coupled as data. Input to encryption logic (534)which provides for encryption of the respective production key (533)responsive to an Appliance ID (542) [coupled from a previously storedAppliance ID as originally received from a recipient device user (orotherwise from storage), or coupled from and related to the respectiveAppliance ID originally generated at the recipient device (541). Theencryption logic (534) provides an output of an encrypted production key[EPK] (535), which is specifically encrypted for decryption by only therespective appliance that originally generated the appliance ID (542).The encrypted content (525) is stored (526) for or within the productionsystem (104), and the production processing of the encrypted content iscomplete (527). Further, the encrypted production key is stored for orwithin the production system 104 (536) and the encryption of theproduction key [EPK] (537) is complete. Thereafter, the encryptedcontent [EC] and respective encrypted production are provided to arecipient device. To use the encrypted content [EC], the respectiverecipient device 204 must then locally internally generate thecorresponding Appliance ID, and utilizing associated applicationsoftware running on the recipient device, decrypts the respectiveencrypted production key [EPK] responsive to the Appliance ID as locallygenerated within that respective recipient device. The recipient device204 then utilizes the decrypted encrypted production key to decrypt theencrypted content. The protected encrypted content is thus madeappliance specific, without requiring the recipient device to beconnected to a server for authentication.

FIG. 19 shows a flow chart and state flow and partial block diagramillustrating the decryption of the encrypted production key utilized todecrypt the encrypted content in the recipient device to provide adecrypted content output.

As illustrated in FIG. 19, the encrypted content [EC] (550) is input tothe recipient device (527) to provide the encrypted content input [EC](550) as a data input to decryption logic (engine) (552) in therecipient device 204. Additionally, the encrypted production key [EPK](56) output (537) is provided to the recipient device 204, and as a datainput to production key decryption logic (engine) as an input (537)encrypted production content (562) within the recipient device 204.Additionally, (at 570), the recipient device 204 generates (or otherwiseprovides) appliance data and utilizes the appliance data to uniquelyidentify the specific particular recipient device 204 via logic (572).That provides for generation of an Appliance ID (573) responsive to theunique identification (574) for the specific recipient device 204, so asto provide an output of a generated appliance ID (573) which is coupledto and stored in a memory (575) of the recipient device 204. TheAppliance ID generated by the logic (572) for generating the ApplianceID output (526) is coupled as a Decryption Key Input to decryption logic(engine) (562). The encrypted production key (563) is provided as adecryption key input to production key input to the decryption logic(engine) (562). Responsive to the Appliance ID (526) as a decryptionkey, the decryption engine (562) decrypts the encrypted production key(560) to provide an output of a decrypted production key (563), which istemporarily stored (564) in the memory of the recipient device 204. Thedecrypted production key (565) is provided as an output, which iscoupled as a Decryption Key Input to decryption logic (engine) (552).The encrypted content (550) is coupled as a Data Input to the contentdecryption logic (engine) (552). The protected content decryption engine(552) provides for decryption of the encrypted content [EC] (550)responsive to the decryption key of the decrypted production key [DPK](565). The decryption content logic (552) provides an output ofdecrypted content [DC] (553) which is stored as stored decrypted content(554) in the memory of the recipient device 204.

In a preferred embodiment, all the decrypted content [DC] (554), theassociated decrypted production key [DPK] 564, and the associatedgenerated Appliance ID, and appliance data utilized therein, are onlystored temporarily within the recipient device memory, and only in thetransient read-write memory, and preferably not written to a hard driveor non-volatile memory in an unencrypted form. This is to maintainoptimal security for the decrypted content that has been decrypted fromthe encrypted content for the specific appliance's use only of thespecific particular recipient device 204 (the one that generated therespective Appliance ID 526). At this point (556), the recipient device204 utilizing application software, provides for selectively regulatedcontrolled use of the decrypted content [DC] by the recipient device[204] strictly, in accordance with the permitted usage rights allowed inaccordance with the usage rights as defined by authorized associatedapplication software of the specific recipient device 204 (and on theassociated rights for the respective decrypted content [DK], regulatingpermitted usage for the encrypted content.

In one embodiment, there is a default set of permitted usage rightswhich are automatically utilized by the authorized application software,in the absence of any separate associated usage rights ticket. Thosedefault usage rights can be set according to the wishes of the provider104, (ranging from very restricted, such as view only, or limited to acertain defined number of viewings, or printings). Alternatively, thedefault set of usage rights can be fully enabled, unrestricted, wideopen with all usages permitted, or anywhere in between. Again, it is amatter of design choice. In a preferred embodiment, regulation of usagesof protected content are provided at multiple levels and is flexible andable to support distribution of and usage of various different types ofcontent are always more restricted. For maximum protection default usagerights on highly protected content are restricted in accordance with anassociated ticket (associated with the decrypted content [DC]). In aregulated selected respective embodiment, default usage rights aresuperceded and, as discussed elsewhere herein.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart and state flow and block diagram illustratingthe responses within the specific authorized recipient device 204, to arequest for usage of protected content, and the termination of whatrights are authorized, and the selective authorized utilization ofrespective decrypted content [DC], for selectively providing for one (ormore) regulated uses of printing (606), exporting (616), or viewing(626), or otherwise usage of at least a portion of the decrypted content[DC], in accordance with selectively regulated usage rights (604), or inaccordance with a permission usage rights ticket associated withrespective specific decrypted content [DC], or in accordance withembedded usage rights in the encrypted content, or in accordance withpredefined default usage rights defined by the associated applicationsoftware on the recipient device (as per selected design standards andwhere applicable, user selection of preferences). Again, the selectionsare available, and are a design choice.

Referring to FIG. 20, the output of the decrypted content [DC] (600) (asshown in FIG. 19) are provided as an input (5566) to the recipientdevice 204 and is coupled to control logic (602), providing for controlof use of the respective decrypted content [DC]. Responsive to the usagerights permissions for the respective decrypted content [DC] (600), thecontrol logic (602) selectively provides regulated usage for one of aplurality of options (604), responsive to the associated usage rightsfor the respective decrypted content [DC] (600). As illustrated in FIG.20, each of a plurality of options can be selectively regulated for adefined number of uses (e.g., zero, one to unlimited usage), for any oneor more of a plurality of options, such as printing of at least one copyof at least a portion of the decrypted content (606), exporting of atleast a portion of the decrypted content (616), and/or providing for avideo presentation of at least a portion of the decrypted content on alocal video display (626) of the recipient device 204. The associatedusage rights can be set up for a restricted number of allowed usages,(such as for printing or exporting or running of an application, ornumber of times of viewing of an application), or for a limited definedtime, or limited permission, or enablement of feature set or version ofa product (e.g., Lite, Medium, Deluxe, Professional) or otherwise. Theseusage rights can be provided for by storage of additional informationsuch as an associated encrypted ticket or as embedded usage rightswithin encrypted content, or otherwise, etc.). As discussed herein,these usage rights are related to permitted usage rights (such as apermitted number of copies allowed, or to be printed or viewed, orapplications to be run and executed. [See also discussion with respectto FIG. 23 and FIG. 26 (and elsewhere herein).]

Referring to FIG. 21, encrypted content [EC] is output (527) (such asfrom FIG. 18), providing an input of encrypted content (528) provided tothe recipient device 204 which provides for selectively storing (630)the encrypted content [EC] (528) within the recipient device 204. Anencrypted production key [EPK] is coupled (537) as an input to therecipient device 204, and is also stored (630) within the recipientdevice 204. The encrypted content [EC] (528) and associated encryptedproduction key [EPK] (538) are stored (630) in the recipient device(204) on non-volatile storage within the recipient device 204 (such ason magnetic hard disk, optical storage such as CD-ROM and DVD, FLASHRAM,EPROM, or other non-volatile storage), internal to or coupled to therecipient device 204. Alternatively, the coupling provided from theproduction subsystem (537) (of FIG. 18), provides the necessaryencrypted content and the associated encrypted production key, eitherseparately or combined as appropriate, such as via one or more ofCD-ROM, on-line download, or otherwise to a specific recipient device204.

There are many alternatives for distribution to choose from. Forexample, the encrypted content could be provided on a CD-ROM, and therecipient device (user) receives the password via email. Alternatively,the encrypted content [EC] and associated encrypted production key [EPK]can be downloaded in one transaction on-line to the recipient device 204(or other computer), and even encrypted to be appliance specific. In apreferred embodiment, the encrypted content [EC] and the encryptedproduction key [EPK] are additionally stored at a backup device as well(such as at a server of the trusted provider production system), toprovide for accounting verification as well as for backup and to provideservices such as lost file replacement services. The backup encryptedcontent and backup encrypted production key as relate to materialsprovided (via CD-ROM or otherwise, such as via on-line download from aproduction subsystem or system) to the specific recipient device (204)can be backed up for a defined time (from forever, to only a definedlimited time only, such as 30 or 60 days, to prevent from clogging thestorage of the server).

FIG. 22 is a flow chart and state flow diagram, illustrating theproduction system ticket generation subsystem (640), providing a sourceof usage rights (642), selected original content (523) from storedoriginal content (522), and an associated production encryption key(533) provided by the production system (532), and coupled as anencryption key input to content encryption logic (engine) (642), whichuses the production encryption key (533) to generate an output ofencrypted content [EC] with an associated encrypted ticket [ET], eitherembedded or separate, for regulating usage rights. The production systemfurther provides for encryption (534) of the production encryption key(533). In a preferred embodiment, this encryption is responsive to anAppliance ID (543) generated at a respective specific recipient device,in order to provide an encrypted production key [EPK] (535) which canonly be utilized only at the specific recipient device that isassociated with (and can regenerate) the generated appliance ID.

FIG. 22 illustrates the methodology and state flow and block diagram forthe provision (such as to a recipient device) of encrypted content withan associated encrypted ticket defining usage rights permissions. Theproduction system provides for an output of a permission usage rightsticket (643) defining permitted usage rights (642). A specificdefinition is provided of permitted usage rights for a ticket associatedwith specific encrypted content (643). The usage rights ticket isprovided as an input to encryption logic (engine) (642). Applicationsoftware provides control logic in the production system (104), andprovides for selection from the source of usage rights (642) ofpermitted usage rights permissions associated with a respective specificfile or files of selected original content to be protected, and isprovided as respective selected content (523) output from originalcontent storage (522) which contains original content from whichselected content to be protected is selected and output responsive tothe control logic. The selected original content (523) is provided as anadditional input to be encrypted to the encryption logic (engine) (642).In an alternative embodiment, a second encryption engine (642B)(analogous to and operating in parallel with the encryption engine(642), separately provides for independent processing and separatelyoutputting the permitted usage rights ticket (643).

The (generated or otherwise produced) production encryption key (533)(see, for example, FIG. 18) is provided or otherwise selected (532) toprovide a production encryption key output (533), which is coupled as anencryption key input to the encryption logic (engine) (642). Theencryption logic (engine) (642) provides for encryption of selectedoriginal content (523) along with the respective associated usage rightsticket (643), to provide an output of a file of an encrypted contentwith associated encrypted usage rights (643), which is thereafter storedin the production system (104) as encrypted content with an associatedticket for regulating usage rights (644).

Alternatively, a separate, but related processing is required next forsecurely delivering a production encryption key that was used for aspecific associated encrypted content to a separate recipient deviceappliance. In a preferred embodiment, an encrypted production encryptionkey is delivered to a designated particular recipient device to enablethat designated particular recipient device, and only that particularrecipient device, to utilize the respective encrypted productionencryption key to decrypt the encrypted content and associated encryptedusage rights ticket at the specific particular local recipient device.As illustrated in FIG. 22, ((540), analogous to FIG. 18) the productionsystem 104 at the trusted provider, receives (or already has stored)(542) an Appliance ID (543) originally generated at a particularspecific recipient device. This generated Appliance ID is uniquelyassociated with that specific particular recipient device, and can beused both initially and thereafter) to uniquely encrypt any respectiveproduction encryption key for selected content. The production systemutilizes the specific Appliance ID (543) for appliance specifictransactions relating to specific associated selected content, forencrypting specific production encryption key(s) associated withencryption of respective specific associated designated selectedoriginal content, to be provided for the respective associated specificparticular recipient device. The production system 104 can encrypt theproduction encryption key, either at the time of encrypting the selectedoriginal content or at a later time subsequent to completion (646) ofencrypting of the content and associated ticket. The production system104 provides for generation (535) and storage (536) of the encryptedproduction key.

The Appliance ID generated at the recipient device (542) is provided asan appliance ID signal (543) coupled to the encryption logic (engine)(534) as an Encryption Key input. The Production Encryption Key (533) iscoupled to the input of the encryption logic (engine) (534). Responsiveto the Appliance ID as an Encryption Key, the encryption logic (engine)(534) encrypts the Production Encryption Key (533) and provides for anoutput of an Encrypted Production Key [EPK] (535). The EncryptedProduction Key [EPK] (535) is stored (536) and the generation andstorage of the specific particular appliance related encryptedproduction key is completed (537). Thereafter, the production system 104provides the Encrypted Production Key [EPK] (535) to the user of therecipient device (e.g., via email, mail, phone call, or otherwise), ordirectly to the specific particular recipient device 204. Thereafter, asillustrated in FIG. 23, the specific particular recipient device 204decrypts the Encrypted Production Key [EPK] (655) responsive toregeneration of the Appliance ID internally within the particularrecipient device 204, which is then utilized as a decryption key inputto production key decryption logic to decrypt the Encrypted ProductionKey [EPK] to provide a Decrypted Production Encryption Key [DPK]. TheDecrypted Production Encryption Key [DPK] (658) is utilized by contentdecryption logic (engine) (664) to decrypt the encrypted content (662)and to decrypt the associated encrypted ticket to define usage rights.The recipient device thereafter utilizes the decrypted contentspecifically regulated in accordance with the usage rights.

FIG. 23 is a detailed system block diagram combined with a flow chartand state flow and block diagram, illustrating the utilization at therecipient device 204 of encrypted content [EC] (661) with an associatedticket [TICKET] and of an associated encrypted production key [EPK](655), to provide decrypted content [DC] (666) and a decrypted ticket[DTKT] (668), utilizing a decrypted production key [DPK] (658) generatedinternally within the respective recipient device 204. The encryptedproduction encryption key [EPK] (655) is decrypted by the production keydecryption logic (656) utilizing the associated Appliance ID (655)generated (652) and stored (654) and provided to be utilized within therespective recipient device 204. Additionally, usage rights are storedwithin a local memory of the respective recipient device. Usage rightscan be defined by the authorized application software on the recipientdevice, as per default values, or to the extent present, which aresuperseded by usage rights regulated by the associated ticket forrespective content. Usage rights regulate usage of associated content,such as the number of copies allowed to be used (e.g., printed) andprovide for tracking and storing a number of copies already used (thatis actual usage), and provides for storage of usage rights data (withinthe respective recipient device storage) in an encrypted format.However, the storage is regulated to provide for temporary storage [onlyduring utilization] of decrypted content and decrypted key (676) [anddecrypted ticket (675)], providing an output of permitted usages for therecipient device as to the respective content.

As illustrated in FIG. 23, the encrypted content [EC] with ticket[TICKET] (e.g., such as in FIG. 22) is provided as an input (646) to therecipient device 204, of the encrypted content [EC] with associatedticket [TICKET] (661), which is stored (662) in the recipient device204. The encrypted content [EC] with ticket [TICKET] is provided as aninput (either one input (where the encrypted content and associatedencrypted ticket are combined as one) or as independent separate inputs)to content decryption logic (engine) (664). A specific respectiveencrypted production key is provided from the production system (see forexample (537) of FIG. 18). This specific encrypted production key [EPK]is provided as an input (650) to the recipient device 204 which providesthe encrypted production key signal (655) as an input to the productionkey decryption logic (656). The recipient device 204 provides aninternally generated Appliance ID (655) which (1) is provided to theproduction system 104 to provide appliance specific encryption; and (2)is utilized within the recipient device 204, such as decrypting of arespective production encryption key (655) [associated with respectiveselected encrypted content] to decrypt the encrypted production key[EPK] (655). Appliance ID generation logic (653) (such as via authorized(licensed/validated) application software (653) (running on a computingsystem within the recipient device 204), provides for generation (652)of an Appliance ID (see, for example, FIG. 10 (652)). The generatedAppliance ID [GAID] is stored (654) within memory (preferablytemporarily as described elsewhere herein) in the recipient device 204.The Appliance ID (655) is coupled as a Decryption Key input toproduction key decryption logic (656). The production key decryptionlogic (656) provides for decryption of the encrypted production key(655) [coupled as a Data Input to the production key decryption logic(656)], responsive to the Appliance ID (653) [at the decryption keyinput], to provide for generation of a decrypted production key [DPK](657) which is temporarily stored (670) in local memory of the recipientdevice 204 and is also provided (658) as a Decryption Key Input ofcontent decryption logic (engine) (664). The content decryption logic(664) provides for decrypting the encrypted content [EC] and theassociated encrypted ticket [TICKET] (661), responsive to the decryptedproduction key output [DPK] (658) and (670) provided from the temporarystorage (670). Responsive to the decrypted production key [DPK] (658),the content decryption logic (664) decrypts the encrypted content [EC]and provides for temporary storage of the decrypted content [DC] (666)and further provides for decrypting of the encrypted ticket to providean associated decrypted ticket [DTKT], and storage (preferably,temporarily) of the associated decrypted ticket (668). [Both thedecrypted ticket and associated decrypted content are preferably storedonly temporarily, and only in transient memory (RAM), so as to maximizesecurity of the system, and eliminate access to any decrypted securecomponents.] This provides an additional level of protection,implemented in order to provide for selective restricted control ofusage and management of respective protected encrypted content, by therecipient device.

As illustrated in FIG. 23, the decrypted ticket (668) and decryptedcontent (666) provide for outputs coupling to a non-volatile area andvolatile area of recipient device storage (670). Certain file parts arestored only encrypted, and if stored at all decrypted, are onlytemporarily stored and only in non-permanent (e.g., RAM) memory. Asillustrated in FIG. 23, the temporary decrypted content, decryptedproduction key and decrypted ticket are temporarily stored in storage of(676) of the recipient device 204. Additional storage of usage rights(672) is also provided such as storing the number of copies allowed tobe printed or number of uses allowed of execution or viewing, or othernumber of allowed uses (673), and additionally, storage actual number ofusages or copies printed, viewed, saved, exported, etc. (674).Additionally, temporary storage is provided for the decrypted ticket andusage rights permissions, for defining logic to be utilized in grantingpermitted usages (678). Responsive to the temporary decrypted ticket(675), and the defined number of copies allowed to be printed [(673) and(674)], and responsive to the temporary decrypted content (676), theapplication software (running on the computing system of the recipientdevice 204) utilizes the stored usage rights (672) content [(673),(674), and optionally (675)] to (1) provide for control and regulationof permitted usages of respective associated temporary decrypted content(676) and (2) provides a permitted usage rights output (677) controllingpermitted usages for regulating usage of the respective associateddecrypted content (676), as well as (3) providing the decrypted content(676) as needed with the recipient device 204 so to permit to providefor the permitted usage. Responsive thereto, the application software ofthe recipient device 204 permits and provides for the permitted usagesof the associated content on the respective recipient device 204.

FIG. 24 is a flow chart and state flow and block diagram illustratingthe control for of decrypted content [DC] (680) within a respectiverecipient device, responsive to a decrypted ticket [DC] (682) asprovided from within the respective recipient device 204 (see, forexample, [DC] and [DTKT] of FIG. 23), to selectively provide forregulated usage of one of exporting (696), printing (697), executing ofa file as an application program (698), or viewing of a videopresentation (699), for at least a portion of (or all of) the decryptedcontent [DC] (680) responsive to the usage rights permitted by thedecrypted ticket [DT] (682).

As illustrated in FIG. 24, to begin the regulated usage, responsive to arequest in the recipient device 204 for usage, the recipient device 204must retrieve (667) the selected decrypted content [DC] (681) output[such as output in FIG. 23 (669)]. The decrypted content is locallystored (680) in the recipient device. The usage of the decrypted content[DC] (681) is regulated by the recipient device 204, in accordance withthe respective associated stored usage rights [DI] (682) in memory[DTKT] (668) (as illustrated in FIG. 23), and provides logic (684) [suchas in the application software of the recipient device 204], responsiveto the decrypted ticket output (663) as stored temporarily locally (682)in the respective recipient device 204. The decrypted ticket output [DT](683) is decoded by decision and regulation logic (684). Responsive tothe decrypted ticket [DT] (683), the decision logic (684) selectivelyprovides for one of a plurality of defined options (685) for utilizationof the decrypted content (681). Responsive to a user request orselection, or other authorized usage of the recipient device (such asautomatically providing for viewing of certain content, or in accordancewith permissions set during initial setup, or otherwise), the recipientdevice provides logic selectively providing for one of a plurality ofoptions (685) such as for selecting of exporting (696) of at least aportion of the decrypted content (681) from the recipient device.Alternatively, the selection of a usage option (685) can provide forselection providing for printing (687) of at least one copy of at leasta portion of the decrypted content (697). Alternatively, the selectionof options (685) can provide for selection of executing as anapplication program (698) for at least a portion of the decryptedcontent (681). Alternatively, the selection logic (685) can provide forselective viewing (699) of a video presentation for the decryptedcontent [DC] (681) (or for a portion of the decrypted content). Theexamples of the five options are illustrated, and are not meant to belimiting. Many other options, including a smaller or larger set, ordifferent set of options can be provided.

FIG. 25 illustrates an alternate embodiment, showing a flow chart, blockdiagram, and state flow and data flow, for processing in the recipientdevice 204 of decrypted original content (741) which itself isrepresentative of a ticket defining usage rights for an associated datafile (743). The recipient device 204 is responsive to a usage requestfor use of the associated data (743), and regulates the usage of theassociated data file (743) to the respective defined rights for usage asgranted by the permission of the ticket (747) (the original content), toprovide for regulated permitted usage within the respective recipientdevice of the associated data file (743), such as printing, viewing,exporting, saving, or execution of an application program, representedby the associated data file (743).

As illustrated in FIG. 25, (730), the original content (740) is a usagerights permission ticket, which is provided as an input to usage logic(744). An associated data file (742) is provided (743) to usageregulation logic (744). Responsive to a usage request (745), such as bythe user of a recipient device (or by the recipient device viaapplication software initial request), the logic (744) regulates usagerights of the associated date file (743) in accordance with therespective defined usage rights of the original content (ticket) (741)to provide a usage regulation output (747) for regulating permittedusage of the associated data file (743). The regulated permitted usageof the associated data file is provided for in the recipient deviceresponsive to the application software executing the logic (744) [andresponsive to the ticket (741)] to regulate usage of the respectiveassociated data file (743) [in accordance with the usage rights of theticket (741)].

The original content [(740), (741)], in another embodiment, can be anyone or more of textual data, image data, audio-wave form data, videodata, MIDI data, game data, business data, other data content, andapplication program code. Any of these types of original content canfurther have a respective associated ticket for regulating usage rightsdefining permitted uses for the respective type of associated originalcontent.

As illustrated in FIG. 25, the original content is itself a ticket forregulating usage rights defining permitted uses for an associatedrespective data file. The associated respective data file can be (butdoes not need to be) provided with the respective original content, andcan either be provided with it, or separately and at a separate time. Asdiscussed elsewhere herein, protected original content is encrypted bythe production system 104 and selectively decrypted by the recipientdevice system 204. The associated data file is also encrypted by theproduction system 104 and selectively decrypted by the recipient devicesystem 204. Once decrypted within the recipient device system 204, thedecrypted original content output (741) and the decrypted associateddata file output (743) are utilized within the recipient device 204 bylogic (744), to provide for selective regulation of usage of therespective associated data file (743) to provide only the permittedusage of the associated data file (743), such as in accordance with theusage request (745) [from the user, or responsive to operation of therecipient device system 204, itself]. When, as illustrated in FIG. 25,the original content (741) is a ticket for regulating usage rightsdefining permitted uses for an associated respective data file (743),then the associated respective data file (743) can be comprised of oneor more of textual data, image data, audio-wave form data, MIDI data,video data, game data, business data, other data content, andapplication program code (for which the usage rights define alloweduses, and/or permitted conditions of use (e.g., number of times, time ofday, number of elapsed days, etc.), and/or permitted features to beused).

FIG. 26 illustrates a flow chart and state flow and block diagramcorresponding in part to the combined output systems of FIGS. 2 and 4,wherein encrypted content [EC] (753) and an encrypted production key(EPK] (763) are combined (754) to provide a combined encrypted output[CEO] (755) which is provided as a combined output (756) to a recipientdevice 204, wherein the recipient device 204 receives the combinedencrypted output (757), and separates (770) the combined content intoseparate ones of an encrypted content copy file [ECC] (771) and anencrypted production key copy file [EPKC] (772), which are thenseparately decrypted [(774), (773), respectively] in the recipientdevice 204 to provide via decryption logic (773) a decrypted encryptedproduction key [DEPK (779)] which is then utilized to decrypt viadecryption logic (774) the encrypted content (771) to provide decryptedcontent (778) (the unencrypted content).

FIG. 26 illustrates the state flow, data flow, block diagram, and systemelement interaction for the combined system output (analogous to asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4). The production system 104 provides (750)for the providing of encrypted content (752) (as described elsewhereherein), to provide an encrypted content output (753). The productionsystem provides (760) for generating (or otherwise providing) anencrypted production key (762), (in any of the manners as discussedelsewhere herein), providing for output of an encrypted production keyoutput (763). The encrypted content output [EC] (753) and encryptedproduction key [EPK] (763) are combined by combing logic (754) toprovide a combined output [CO] (755) which is provided (756) by theproduction system 104 as a combined encrypted output (CEO) (755) to therecipient device 204. This combined encrypted output [CEO] (756) can beprovided to the respective recipient device 204 in a number of ways, asdiscussed elsewhere herein, ranging from an email, regular mail, on aCD-ROM, or distributed in any other manner. The recipient device 204provides means for receiving (757) the combined encrypted output (756)received from the production system 104 (via any means), and providesseparation logic (770) for separating the combined content [CO] toprovide for separating the encrypted content from the encryptedproduction key to provide an output of an encrypted content copy (771)to storage within the recipient device 204. The encrypted content (771)is provided as an input to decryption logic (744). The separation logic(770) provides the encrypted production key [EPK] (772) to decryptionlogic (engine) (773) to provide for decryption of the encryptedproduction key [EPK] responsive to the internally generated (775)Appliance ID (765) from within the recipient device 204 to provide thegenerated Appliance ID (765) as a Decryption Key Input to the productionkey decryption logic (engine) (773). The decryption logic engine (773)provides for decryption of the encrypted production key copy [EPK] (772)provided as an input to the production key decryption logic (773).Responsive to the generated Appliance ID (773) as a Decryption KeyInput, the production decryption logic (773) provides for an output of adecrypted production key [DPK] (779), which is coupled as a DecryptionKey Input to content decryption logic (774). The content decryptionlogic (engine) (774) provides for decrypting of the encrypted content(771) (as coupled to the Data Input of the content decryption logic(774) to provide for an output of decrypted content (unencryptedcontent) (UC) (778) [which is preferably only temporarily stored, asdiscussed elsewhere herein]. The production system 104 provides forcombining the encrypted content [EC] (153) and the encrypted productionkey [EPK] (763) to generate a single combined encrypted output [CEO](755). The production system 104 then provides the combined encryptedoutput [CEO] (755) which coupled (756) from the production system 104 tothe recipient device. The recipient device 204 provides for separating(770) the received combined encrypted output [CEO] (757) (at therecipient device) into an encrypted content copy (771) and encryptedproduction key copy (772). The recipient device then provides fordecrypting the encrypted production key copy [EPKC] (772) with theproduction key decryption logic (774) within the recipient device, toprovide a decrypted production key [DPK] (779). In a preferredembodiment, the decryption of the encrypted production key [EPK] (772)is explicitly appliance specific [only usable on a particular specificrecipient device 204] by initially encrypting the respective encryptionproduction key at the production system, responsive to an Appliance ID[coupled to the production system 104] internally generated from theparticular recipient device specific appliance.

In an alternate preferred embodiment, a separate unique ID [not anAppliance ID generated from a recipient device] is provided to theproduction system and is utilized as an encryption key utilized forencrypting of respective associated content, and to create a respectiveassociated encrypted production key, and the internally generating anAppliance ID (775) and (765) is not required in this alternativepreferred embodiment.

In all of these embodiments, the encrypted production key [EPK] isdecrypted at the recipient device to provide the decrypted productionkey [DPK], and utilizes the decrypted production key [DPK], to decryptthe encrypted content [EC] at the recipient device (responsive to thedecrypted production key) to provide for unencrypted content [UC]corresponding to the original encrypted content for usage in accordancewith permitted usages rights at a respective recipient device.

FIG. 27 illustrates a flow chart and state flow diagram and blockdiagram for a production system providing not only for the encryption ofselected original content (783) with a production encryption key (793)but also encryption of the respective production encryption key (793)responsive to an Appliance ID (803) from a specific recipient deviceappliance, to make it appliance specific (by encrypting responsive to anAppliance ID generated at the respective specific recipient device andutilized as an encryption key input so as to create a respectiveproduction key). Further, utilizing the same respective production keyas an encryption key input, a usage rights permission ticket output(813) is also encrypted (814) to create a respective encrypted ticket(815). The usage rights ticket (813) is generated by ticket logicsubsystem (812) to provide a ticket output (813) with defined rights forusage of the associated encrypted content [EC] (785). The generatedticket (813) is encrypted (814) (responsive to the same productionencryption key [PEK] (793) utilized to encrypt the respective associatedselected original content), to provide an encrypted ticket output [ET](815) which defines the usage rights (usage rights permissions, ticketID, etc.,) for the respective ticket associated with the respectiveencrypted content and respective encrypted production key, which areultimately provided to a respective recipient device.

Referring to FIG. 27, there is illustrated the logic elements, systemcomponents, state flow and data flow, relating to the productionsystem's generation of encrypted content, an associated encryptedproduction key, and further an associated encrypted ticket definingusage rights for the respective encrypted content. Original content isprovided (780), either from storage of the production system trustedprovider, or via coupling of content to the trusted provider by thecontent owner. In any event, selected original content (783) is provided(782) by the trusted provider production system to provide an output ofselected original content (783). This can be done in accordance with anumber of criteria, including responsive to manufacturing and marketingsuggested guidelines of a company, to responding to a specific user'son-line transaction such as ordering content, to anything in between, orotherwise. In any event, selected original content (783) is provided asan output, coupled as an input to content encryption logic (engine)(784). The production system 104 provides (790) a production encryptionkey [PEK] (792), in any of the manners as discussed herein. An output ofa production encryption key [PEK] (793) is provided, and coupled as anEncryption Key Input to the content encryption logic (784). The contentencryption logic (784) then provides for encryption of the selectedoriginal content (783), responsive to the associated productionencryption key [PEK] (793) [generated to be associated with and used forencryption of (and decryption of) the respective selected originalcontent (783), (or otherwise selected to be associated)]. The contentencryption logic (784) provides an output of encrypted content (785) tobe stored at the production system (786). Additionally, the productionencryption key (793) is coupled as a Data Input to production keyencryption logic (794). Additionally (800), the production system 104provides an Appliance ID (803) (that was generated (802) at a recipientdevice, or any other unique ID that can be used to activate a recipientdevice) and provides an output of an Appliance ID (803) coupled as aninput, to the encryption Key Input of the production key encryptionlogic (794). The production key encryption logic (794) provides forencryption of the production encryption key [PEK](793) responsive to theEncryption Key Input of the Appliance ID (803), to provide an output ofan encrypted production key [EPK] (795). The encrypted production key[EPK] (795) is stored (796) in the production system 104 as an encryptedproduction key [EPK] and is associated with the stored respectiveencrypted content (786). Additionally (810), the production system 104generates (812) a ticket output (813) with defined usage rights for therespective associated encrypted content [EC] (785). The ticket (813)defines usage rights, and optionally has a ticket identification, adocument identification, a production key identification, associateddate, time, etc. The ticket (813) can be structured for usage of therespective associated content in accordance with default usage rights,or according to specific defined usage rights of the specific ticket asspecifically provided by the production system for specific explicitregulation of the associated specific encrypted content. The ticketoutput (813) is coupled as an input to ticket encryption logic (814).The ticket encryption logic (814) has the Appliance ID (803) coupled asan input to an Encryption Key Input of the ticket encryption logic(814). The ticket encryption logic (814) provides for encryption of theticket (813), responsive to the Appliance ID (803), to provide an outputof an encrypted ticket (815). The encrypted ticket (815) is stored (816)in the production system (104) as an encrypted ticket [ET] and isassociated with the respective encrypted content [EC] and the respectiveassociated encrypted production key [EPK].

Thus, the system and process provide for generating a ticket outputassociated with the respective encrypted content, where the ticketoutput provides for defining usage rights for regulating the usage ofthe respective encrypted content. The respective ticket output is thenencrypted, responsive to the associated respective production encryptionkey [that is, the same production key used to generate the respectiveassociated encrypted content, to provide an encrypted ticket output. Theticket output, as discussed herein, can be comprised of usage rights,ticket ID, and optionally or alternatively other components.

As illustrated and discussed with reference to FIG. 28, and elsewhereherein, the system and methodology of the present invention provide forvalidating the encrypted ticket output (which is provided to therecipient device), along with the encrypted production key andrespective associated encrypted content. The recipient device 204decrypts the encrypted ticket (provided from the production system 104),and provides for validating the decrypted ticket output on the recipientdevice 204, responsive to the ticket ID portion of the decrypted ticketoutput. Then, after validating the ticket output, the recipient devicesystem 204 responds to the usage rights defined by the ticket output,for regulating the usage [on the recipient device 204] of the decryptedcontent (which is preferably only stored temporarily on the recipientdevice during its usage), to provide for selective and restricted usage(of the respective decrypted content) in accordance with the definedusage rights and the validating. Thus, there is provided, regulating ofusage of one (or more) of viewing, saving, exporting, printing, andexecuting of application code of the decrypted content, on the recipientdevice 204, responsive to the defined usage rights and the validating.

FIG. 28 illustrates a flow chart, state flow and block diagram providingfor additional security within the recipient device 204, by storing thedecrypted ticket, at least in part, in a plurality of locations withinlocal storage of the recipient device 204, to provide for multi-levelverification capability and to increase security levels.

As illustrated in FIG. 28, for improved security, the decrypted ticket(823) is stored in a plurality of locations [A (831), B (832), C (833),D (834)] within the local storage (830) of the recipient device 204, andis then utilized by the recipient device 204 to ensure that no tamperinghas occurred to the decrypted ticket [DT] (823). As illustrated in FIG.28, an encrypted ticket (823) is provided as an input to the recipientdevice 204, and is stored (820) within the recipient device 204. Controllogic (822), within the recipient device, provides for additionalstorage of the encrypted ticket (824) into a plurality of separatedmemory locations in the storage (830) of the recipient device 204. All,or at least a part, of each of the multiple copies of the encryptedticket is stored in each of a plurality of different locations A B C andD in the storage memory (830) of the recipient device. The storagememory (830) is preferably the non-volatile storage, such as a magnetichard disk drive, optical storage (e.g., CD, DVD, other), or otherwise.The control logic (822) provides for the maintenance of the multiplecopies of the respective encrypted ticket [ET] for usage rights, in theselected plurality of locations in the storage. This provides anadditional level of protection against tampering. The control logic(824) provides a first output (831) to store at memory location A, anoutput 832 to store at memory location B, an output 833 to store atmemory location C, and an output 834 to store at memory location D. Moreor less locations can be chosen as a design election choice. Thereafter,during validation of the ticket output, and regulation of usageresponsive to the usage rights defined by the ticket, the control logicutilizes the multiple stored tickets. The respective stored ticket ateach of the plurality of locations is examined, and responsive thereto,usage rights for the associated selected content are limited inaccordance with results of the polling of the respective tickets at themultiple stored locations, and analysis of the respective stored ticketsat the plurality of locations.

In a preferred embodiment, after the polling, only the most restrictiveusage rights of the polled tickets are observed [that is, the leastpermissive of the usage rights of the plurality of respective storedtickets], as a precaution against tampering by someone with any of thestored usage rights. However, if there is no tampering, all locationswill confirm a same usage right.

FIG. 29 illustrates a flow chart, state flow and block diagram,illustrating within the recipient device 204, the altering (828) of themultiple stored values [A, B, C, D] for usage rights (of respectivedecrypted content) in the respective multiple locations of the storage(830) of the recipient device 204 [analogous to the storage as in FIG.28]. The same locations can be reutilized for the altered values, or newlocations can be used.

The original content can have an associated ticket or be a ticket itselffor an associated data file. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 29,an output of permitted usage rights (749) are provided to the recipientdevice 204, (see also as illustrated in FIG. 28), coupled to controllogic (820) (within the recipient device 204) which provides (1) controlfor permitted usage of rights for the respective decrypted content [DC],and (2) monitors usage of rights of the respective content as per actualusage in accordance with the respective permitted usage rights. Theactual usage of regulated usage rights (749) is provided as an input tothe control logic (826) [responsive to the usage of respectiveassociated rights of respective associated decrypted content], whichprovides logic for altering (828) of stored usage values [A, B, C, D],responsive to the regulated permitted actual usage for the protectedcontent (such as the associated data file). The recipient device controllogic (820) determines and maintains records of usage rights allowed andactual usage, (e.g., as discussed with reference to FIG. 28). In FIG.29, the altered usage stored values (829) are updated to the locations[A, B, C, D] of the storage (830) [of the recipient device 204], toprovide for modification of the values stored for both usage rightsused, and for usage rights still left available, for the respectiveassociated decrypted content. The modified usage rights are encryptedand stored as encrypted ticket usage rights, so as to maintain theintegrity of the multi-location anti-tampering structure.

Many alternate options exist for selecting the multiple locations,including generating a pool of values, storing location values(encrypted) with the respective ticket and mapping to them, randomlygenerating location values, defining a table of locations to be utilizedand mapped to, providing a defined set of locations, and updating andre-mapping locations on an adaptive basis over time, and/or anystructure or methodology for securely assigning and mapping and keepingtrack of multiple ticket locations, [and (where utilized) any encryptionkeys or data needed]. Thus, after having stored the encrypted ticket atleast in part in a plurality of locations within storage of therecipient device 204, the actual usage of rights of the decryptedcontent within the recipient device 204 results in the storing ofaltered values (as to actual usage) for the respective usage rightsactually used in the respective plurality of locations.

FIG. 30 illustrates a flow chart, state flow and block diagram,illustrating the operation within the recipient device 204 to processand utilize an encrypted ticket (842), to provide for decrypting (844)of the encrypted ticket (843) [as illustrated elsewhere herein on anappliance specific basis], to provide decrypted ticket content (845) ofthe ticket and ticket ID [and as appropriate, other data for usagerights]. The recipient device 204 further provides for validation (848)of the decrypted usage rights ticket (846) (such as based on actualusage or verifying multiple respective stored tickets to validate usagerights), providing a validated usage rights signal (849) to provide aninput to regulation logic (862) (such as executing authorized validatedassociated application software in the recipient device system),providing for regulated usage of the protected content. The recipientdevice, which regulates (862) the usage of the respective decryptedcontent [DC](861), and provides for selectively regulated usage (864)(such as viewing, saving, exporting or printing), responsive to thevalidated (permitted) usage rights (849).

FIG. 30 further illustrates the provision of an additional associatedencrypted ticket output (843) associated with respective encryptedcontent [EC] and a respective encrypted production key [EPK],(consistent with the discussion of figures provided herein). Asillustrated in FIG. 30, (840), an encrypted ticket output (843) isprovided (842) [such as the encrypted ticket output 816 provided fromthe production system (as illustrated in FIG. 27)]. The encrypted ticketoutput (843) is coupled from the production system 104 to the recipientdevice 204, and is stored in memory of the recipient device 204. Theencrypted ticket (843) is coupled as a Data Input to ticket decryptionlogic (844), which provides for decryption of the encrypted ticket(843), responsive to an internally generated appliance ID (at 853)coupled as a Decryption Key Input (KEY) to the ticket decryption logic(844). The recipient device 204 internally generates (852) an ApplianceID (853) based on unique identifying data (850) [in any manner asdiscussed elsewhere herein], to provide the Appliance ID output (853)[that is coupled as an encryption key to the decryption logic (844)].The ticket decryption logic (844) provides for decryption of theencrypted ticket (843) to provide an output of a decrypted ticket (845).The decrypted ticket is provided as an input to usage control logic(846) of the recipient device [such as responsive to applicationsoftware (validated and authorized by a trusted provider) running on acomputer system of the recipient device]. The recipient device 204 isresponsive to the decrypted ticket (845) and provides for determining ofusage rights (and regulation of usage responsive thereto) and validatingof ticket ID [and/or other functions as desired and implemented]. Thedecrypted content (861) provided within the recipient device 204 (asdiscussed herein), is temporarily stored in the recipient device, andprovided to the control logic (846), and the usage rights ticket isvalidated (848) for the respective content [such as based on ticket IDand other information as appropriate) (846), and the validated usagerights are provided as an output (849) coupled to usage regulation andcontrol logic (862) as an input thereto. The decrypted content (861)(such as illustrated output from FIG. 19) is coupled to the controllogic (862) as well as, to be validated. The logic provides forregulating usage (862) of the decrypted content (861) in accordance withthe validated usage rights (849) to provide for an output (863) which isutilized by the recipient device 204, to provide for selectivelyregulated usage at the recipient device of the decrypted content [DC],such as viewing, saving, exporting, printing, or other permitted usageas permitted by the validated usage rights for the respective decryptedcontent.

The system and methodology as in illustrated FIG. 30 provide forvalidating the ticket output within the recipient device, and thenregulating the usage of the decrypted content on the recipient deviceresponsive to the determined usage rights and the validating. This canprovide for one or more of viewing, saving, exporting, printing, andexecuting of application represented by the decrypted content,responsive to the usage rights and the validating.

The system and methodology of the present invention as to Data RightsManagement and secure distribution and regulation of protected content,is applicable to distribution via on-line (Internet or Intranet, wiredor wireless), via CD-ROM, email, on memory cards, or otherwise.

It is applicable to business, education, government, on-line research[such as LexisNexis, Westlaw, Google], on-line transactional (e.g.,eBay, Amazon.com), video gaming, gambling, wagering, betting (especiallyserver-based or wireless or wired, real-time or delayed), and any onlinecommerce.

The present invention also eliminates the time loss and delays ofserver-based authentication of appliances, data and transactions, byproviding (in some embodiments), appliance specific regulating of usagerights, without (ongoing) server authentication.

The systems and methodology of the present invention are also valuablein a large number of applications, from any transaction processingsystem, such as for businesses or consumers, and in specific regulatedindustries, such as banking, financial markets, military, and [gambling,gaming, wagering and betting, both on-line and in-casino-based andwireless and wired], as well as to server-based gaming and gambling.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations andmodifications may be effected without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation withrespect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended orshould be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appendedclaims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for production and secure transfer ofprotected content, the system comprising: a key creation subsystem thatgenerates a production key; selection logic that selects at least one ofa plurality of separate files of original content for protection;combining logic that combines the original content with annotation dataassociated with the original content; a communications interface thatreceives an Appliance ID from a recipient device, wherein the ApplianceID is sent by the recipient device after the recipient device generatesthe Appliance ID by operating on data that identifies at least oneunique feature of a hardware element or software element installed onthe recipient device; a data content encryption subsystem that encryptsthe original content and the annotation data based on the productionkey, wherein the original content has defined usage rights including arestricted export option which permits export of the annotation datawithout permitting export of the associated original content in adecrypted form; appliance hash logic that generates an Appliance Keybased on the Appliance ID without providing the Appliance Key to therecipient device; and a production key encryption subsystem thatencrypts the production key based on the Appliance Key.
 2. The system asin claim 1, wherein the encrypted production key is coupled to therecipient device; wherein the recipient device generates and locallystores a generated Appliance ID; wherein the recipient device furthergenerates an Appliance Key based on the generated Appliance ID; andwherein the system further comprises decryption logic that decrypts theencrypted production key using the generated Appliance Key.
 3. Thesystem as in claim 1, wherein the system is located at a first location;wherein the system further comprises a recipient device located at asecond location, wherein the recipient device further receives a userentry of password data; wherein the appliance hash logic generates theAppliance Key based on the Appliance ID and the password data; andwherein the recipient device is further: generates an Appliance ID basedon the appliance hash logic and appliance data; generates an ApplianceKey based on the appliance hash logic, the password data, and thegenerated Appliance ID; decrypts the encrypted production key using thegenerated Appliance Key; and decrypts the encrypted content using thedecrypted production key, to provide an output of unencrypted contentfor regulated usage on the recipient device in accordance with definedusage rights associated with the encrypted content.
 4. A method ofproviding secure distribution of data files from a production system,the method comprising: generating a production key; selecting at leastone of a plurality of separate files of original content for encryption,wherein each of the plurality of separate files has associated definedusage rights including a restricted export option; encrypting theoriginal content based on the production key; providing a uniquedocument identification for the files, wherein the documentidentification is associated with and indexed to the production key;distributing the encrypted original content and the documentidentification to a recipient device; receiving an Appliance ID from therecipient device, wherein the Appliance ID is sent by the recipientdevice after being generated by application software on the recipientdevice, the recipient device operating on data that identifies at leastone unique feature of a hardware element or software element installedon the recipient device; receiving a document identification from therecipient device; locating the production key based on the receiveddocument identification; encrypting the production key based on theAppliance ID; storing the encrypted production key indexed to thereceived document identification; receiving from the recipient deviceannotations to the original content packaged with the original content;and encrypting the original content and the annotations with theproduction key, wherein, in response to the restricted export option,the annotations are permitted to be exported while the associatedoriginal content in a decrypted form are not permitted to be exported.5. The method as in claim 4, further comprising: encrypting multipleones of the plurality of separate files as a group using one of a singleproduction key for all of the plurality of separate files, and aseparate production key for each of the plurality of separate files;generating a group identification for the group; and distributing theencrypted group of selected files and the group identification to therecipient device.
 6. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:providing the encrypted production key to the recipient device;providing the encrypted original content to the recipient device;decrypting the encrypted production key at the recipient device using alocally generated Appliance ID, wherein the encrypted production key isdecrypted by the application software; and decrypting the encryptedoriginal content at the recipient device using the decrypted productionkey, wherein the encrypted original content is decrypted by theapplication software.
 7. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:decrypting the associated defined usage rights at the recipient device;and regulating usage of the decrypted original content on the recipientdevice based on the associated defined usage rights.
 8. The method as inclaim 1, wherein the original content comprises a video presentationoutput, the method further comprising: associating a bookmark data filewith the original content, wherein the bookmark data file defines atleast one bookmark that provides navigational redirection of the videopresentation output to an associated bookmarked location in response toa selection of the bookmark.
 9. The method as in claim 8, furthercomprising: selectively setting bookmarks during the encrypting of theselected content, wherein the bookmarks are set based on the bookmarkdata file; associating the bookmarks with the original content; andproviding navigation of the decrypted original content at the recipientdevice based on the bookmarks.
 10. The method as in claim 8, wherein thebookmark data file is at least one of an Active-X file, an Excel file,an XML file, delimited text, a database, or combinations thereof.
 11. Amethod of secure distribution and protection of content, the methodcomprising: generating a production key; selecting at least one of aplurality of separate files of original content for protection;combining the original content with annotation data associated with theoriginal content; receiving an Appliance ID from a recipient device,wherein the Appliance ID is sent by the recipient device after therecipient device generates the Appliance ID by operating on data thatidentifies at least one unique feature of a hardware element or softwareelement installed on the recipient device; encrypting the originalcontent and the annotation data based on the production key to createencrypted content, wherein the original content has defined usage rightsincluding a restricted export option which permits export of theannotation data without permitting export of the associated originalcontent in a decrypted form; encrypting the production key based on theAppliance ID.
 12. The method as in claim 11, further comprising:coupling the encrypted content and the encrypted production key to therecipient device; generating at the recipient device a generatedAppliance ID for identifying and validating the recipient device;encrypting the selected production key based on the generated ApplianceID; and providing the encrypted production key to the recipient device.13. The method as in claim 11, further comprising: running applicationsoftware on a computing subsystem of the recipient device; generating agenerated Appliance ID on the recipient device, wherein the Appliance IDis generated by the application software; decrypting the encryptedproduction key output on the recipient device using the Appliance ID,wherein the encrypted production key is decrypted by the applicationsoftware; and decrypting the encrypted content on the recipient deviceusing the decrypted production key, wherein the encrypted content isdecrypted by the application software.
 14. The method as in claim 11,wherein the recipient device comprises elements of a computing system,and wherein the elements have associated hardware addresses, the methodfurther comprising: utilizing the hardware addresses, at least in part,to generate the Appliance ID.
 15. The method as in claim 12 the methodfurther comprising: selectively providing controlled and regulated usageof the original content on the recipient device based on the associatedusage rights.
 16. The method as in claim 11, wherein the contentcomprises a plurality of content files, the method further comprising:converting the plurality of separate files of original content by oneof: (a) individually converting each of the plurality of separate filesof original content with a separate production key; or (b) convertingall of the plurality of separate files of original content as a groupwith a single production key.
 17. The method as in claim 11, wherein theencrypting the original content further comprises encrypting theoriginal content based on conversion parameter settings, wherein theconversion parameter settings comprise control data regulatingdecryption, activation, and usage of the encrypted content, and whereinthe conversion parameter settings selectively provide at least one of:(a) usage restrictions on the encrypted content, wherein the usagerestrictions comprise at least one of print, export, save, orcombinations thereof; (b) a product authorization level; (c) conversionoptions comprising at least one of: (1) standard encryption; (2)enhancing and then encrypting; (3) device-specific encryption; (4)whiten; (5) brighten; (6) align; (7) clean; (8) filter; (9) permitannotations; or (10) combinations thereof; or (d) combinations thereof.18. The method as in claim 11, wherein the encrypting the originalcontent further comprises encrypting the original content based onconversion parameter settings, wherein the conversion parameter settingsprovide control of usage of the encrypted content on the recipientdevice.
 19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the control of the usagecomprises at least one of: (1) use only on a single recipient device;(2) use only on a group of specified recipient devices; (3) use on anyrecipient device having appropriate viewing software for the encryptedcontent; (4) use on only a recipient device providing an Appliance Key;(5) use restricted to at least one of a limited production option, alimited export option, a limited print option, and a limited saveoption; or (6) combinations thereof.
 20. The method as in claim 11,wherein the content comprises a data file for at least one of image,text, video, still video image, application software, sheet music forvideo display, video games, movies, or combinations thereof.
 21. Themethod as in claim 11, further comprising: regulating usage of theencrypted content on the recipient device in accordance with the definedusage rights associated with the encrypted original content, wherein theregulating the usage comprises selectively permitting at least one ofprint, save, export, view, an appliance-specific feature, anon-appliance-specific feature, an enable feature, a run as applicationfeature, or combinations thereof.
 22. The system as in claim 1, whereinthe key creation subsystem is configured to generate the selectedproduction key by at least one of: (a) pseudo-random generation; (b)random generation; (c) pool-based generation; (d) selection from astored database of generated keys; (e) selection from a stored databaseof stored production keys recalled in accordance with defined rules; (f)reference to a Customer ID; or (g) combinations thereof.
 23. A systemfor providing secure distribution of data files from a productionsystem, the system comprising: means for generating a selectedproduction key; means for selecting at least one of a plurality ofseparate files of original content for encryption, wherein each of theplurality of separate files has associated defined usage rights, whereinthe defined usage rights include a restricted export option; means forencrypting the selected content based on the selected production key;means for receiving an Appliance ID sent from the recipient device,wherein the Appliance ID is generated by application software on therecipient device by operating on data identifying at least one uniquefeature of hardware options or software options installed on therecipient device; means for encrypting the selected production key basedon the Appliance ID; means for receiving annotation data that isgenerated at the recipient device and corresponds to the originalcontent; means for encrypting the original content and the annotationdata; and means for permitting, in response to the restricted exportoption, export of the annotation data without permitting export of theoriginal content in an unencrypted form.
 24. The system as in claim 23,further comprising: means for distributing the encrypted content to arecipient device; means for providing a unique document identificationfor the original content, wherein the document identification isassociated with and indexed to the selected production key; means fordistributing the document identification to the recipient device; meansfor receiving a document identification from the recipient device; meansfor locating the selected production key based on the received documentidentification; and means for storing the encrypted production keyindexed to the received document identification.
 25. The system as inclaim 23, further comprising: means for encrypting multiple ones of theplurality of separate files as a group using one of a single productionkey for all of the plurality of separate files, and a separateproduction key for each of the plurality of separate files; means forgenerating a group identification for the group; and means fordistributing the encrypted group of selected files and the groupidentification to the recipient device.
 26. The system as in claim 23,further comprising: means for providing the encrypted production key tothe recipient device; means for providing the encrypted content to therecipient device; means for decrypting the encrypted production key atthe recipient device using a locally generated Appliance ID, wherein theencrypted production key is decrypted by the application software; andmeans for decrypting the encrypted content at the recipient device usingthe decrypted production key, wherein the encrypted content is decryptedby the application software.
 27. The system as in claim 23, furthercomprising: means for decrypting the associated defined usage rights atthe recipient device; and means for regulating usage of the decryptedcontent on the recipient device based on the associated defined usagerights.
 28. The system as in claim 26, wherein the selected contentcomprises a video presentation output, the system further comprising:means for associating a bookmark data file with the selected content,wherein the bookmark data file defines at least one bookmark thatprovides navigational redirection of the video presentation output to anassociated bookmarked location in response to a selection of thebookmark.
 29. The system as in claim 28, further comprising: means forselectively setting bookmarks during the encrypting of the selectedcontent, wherein the bookmarks are set based on the bookmark data file;means for associating the bookmarks with the selected content; and meansfor providing navigation of the decrypted content at the recipientdevice based on the bookmarks.
 30. The system as in claim 28, whereinthe means for associating a bookmark data file with the selected contentcomprises means for associating at least one of an Active-X file, anExcel file, an XML file, delimited text, a database, or combinationsthereof with the selected content.
 31. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, whenexecuted by a computing device in conjunction with an encryptedproduction key and encrypted content, cause the computing device toperform operations for protection of content, the operations comprising:generating and locally storing an Appliance ID, wherein a correspondingAppliance ID was sent by a recipient device after the recipient devicegenerated the corresponding Appliance ID by operating on dataidentifying at least one unique feature of a hardware element orsoftware element installed on the recipient device; generating anAppliance Key based on the Appliance ID; decrypting the encryptedproduction key using the generated Appliance Key; decrypting theencrypted content using the decrypted production key, to provide anoutput of unencrypted content for regulated usage on the recipientdevice in accordance with defined usage rights associated with theencrypted content; mapping annotation data to the encrypted content,wherein the annotation data is generated at the recipient device; andencrypting the annotation data with the encrypted content using theencrypted production key.
 32. The computer-readable medium as in claim31, wherein the operations further comprise receiving password data, andwherein generating the Appliance Key is based on the Appliance ID andthe password data.
 33. The computer-readable medium as in claim 31,wherein the operations further comprise: regulating the usage of thedecrypted content on the recipient device in accordance with the definedusage rights.
 34. The computer-readable medium as in claim 31, whereinthe regulating the usage of the decrypted content comprise selectivelypermitting at least one of print, save, export, view, anappliance-specific feature, a non-appliance-specific feature, an enablefeature, a run as application feature, or combinations thereof.
 35. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the data indicating at least one of hardwarefeatures or software features installed on the recipient device isdetermined at least in part by retrieving a list of hardware featuresinstalled on the recipient device.
 36. The system of claim 1 wherein thedata indicating at least one of hardware features or software featuresinstalled on the recipient device is determined at least in part byretrieving a list of software features installed on the recipientdevice.
 37. The system of claim 1 wherein the data indicating at leastone of hardware features or software features installed on the recipientdevice indicates two or more hardware features or software featuresinstalled on the recipient device.
 38. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the generating an ApplianceKey based on the Appliance ID comprises generating the Appliance Keybased on the Appliance ID, appliance hash logic, and password data.